Review ~ The Science of Food by Marty Jopson

Published by Michael O'Mara Books
7 September 2017
224 pgs

My thanks to the publishers for my review copy of this book

What's it all about ...

Ever wondered what modified starch is and why it's in so much of the food we buy? What do instant mash and freeze-dried coffee have in common? What's the real truth behind the five-second rule? And as the world population grows and the pressure on agriculture to produce more cost-effective and sustainable products increases, what could the future hold for both farmers and consumers?

From mind boggling microbiology to ingenious food processing techniques and gadgets, The Science of Food takes a look at the details that matter when it comes to what we eat and how we cook, and lays bare the science behind how it all works. By understanding the chemistry, physics and biology of the food we cook, buy and prepare, we can all become better consumers and happier cooks!

Here's what I thought about it...

Food preparation is something I do everyday without thinking and yet, I never give any conscious thought to the science of food and even in my dim and distant past, Domestic Science lessons at school mainly involved making cherry scones and Shepherds Pie with no thought at all about the actual science of what was happening to the ingredients as I shoved them into the oven.

The Science of Food is a nifty little book which looks at some fascinating topics and answers all those questions you never knew you needed to know about food science, and does so in a fun and informative way.

 Divided into five topics, the book covers;

• Essential Technology
• The Magic of Processed Food
• Critical Kitchen Chemistry
• Sharing our food with Bugs
• The Future of Food

I really enjoyed dipping into and out of the book and learning something I didn't know, like the size of bowl really does matter when you are beating eggs, the bigger, the better apparently, and that whipping egg whites in a copper bowl makes your egg whites stiffer...who knew ?

The really clever science bits are all there for those who like the technical stuff and yet, it's written in a way that makes it fun and interesting and not like those interminable science books at school, which in my case were usually filled with flower doodles and boy's names!

There's a few pages entitled, 'Knowing when to eat your food' which is all about use by and sell by dates, something which always confuses me and I know that I often throw food away that's perfectly edible and not going to do me any harm.

If you're a foodie, or have a foodie in the family or even if you are just like me and quaintly curious then The Science of Food is one of those books that will sit quietly on your recipe book shelf, just waiting for the right moment to astound you with it's brilliance.

About the Author

Marty Jopson has a PhD in Cell Biology and is the resident scientist on BBC One's The One Show. Marty has been working in television for eighteen years since his first job building props and has been performing stage science around the UK for twenty years.

Follow the author on Twitter @martyjopson

Visit his website 

Find the book on Amazon

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