
Chemistry of Cooking
Sorangel Rodriguez-Velazquez, American University
Copyright Year:
Publisher: Sorangel Rodriguez-Velazquez
Language: English
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CC BY-NC-SA
Reviews





This is a very comprehensive textbook covering all aspects of the Chemistry of Cooking. It begins with Essential Ideas such as background information and basic fundamentals on measurements, energy, mathematics, and uncertainty. Then it delves more... read more
Reviewed by Alexander Zestos, Associate Professor, American University on 12/29/22
Comprehensiveness
This is a very comprehensive textbook covering all aspects of the Chemistry of Cooking. It begins with Essential Ideas such as background information and basic fundamentals on measurements, energy, mathematics, and uncertainty. Then it delves more into a review of basic general chemistry such as a focus on atoms, molecules, and ions. Then it gets into cooking techniques such as thickening and concentrating flavors. Moreover, it thoroughly discusses many main ingredients such as flour, fat, sugar, leavening agents, dairy products, eggs, chocolate, spices, and other ingredients. This is a very comprehensive and thorough overview of the chemistry of cooking from the perspective of food preparation and the chemistry of several fundamental ingredients necessary for the chemistry of cooking.
Content Accuracy
This book is highly accurate. I did not find any inconsistencies or errors in this textbook. I am confident that this textbook could be adopted as an alternative open source textbook for an introductory chemistry of cooking course. The background information on chemistry is very thorough and the recipes are accurate and up to date.
Relevance/Longevity
The content is up to date and very relevant to the field of Chemistry of Cooking. Many new recipes, ingredients, and cooking techniques are included that would make this a very useful textbook. It is possible that updates may be needed in the future, but this is not a very pressing concern at this moment. For example, it contains many similar themes to a comparable textbook, Chemistry in Your Kitchen (2016) published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which makes this a very relevant textbook.
Clarity
I think that this book is very accessible and well written. It does provide adequate context for any jargon or technical terminology used. For example, all of the ingredients such as sugars, spices, fats, etc. were listed both with their proper chemical names and their common names as well. The recipes are all step by step and the procedures are very thorough and easy to follow.
Consistency
This book was internally consistent in terms of both terminology and framework. I really enjoyed how the first two chapters were a review of basic concepts and chemistry. This really sets a proper foundation of how the textbook should be organized. Then it is organized by ingredient such to give the reader a proper introduction on the many ingredients that can be utilized for the chemistry of cooking.
Modularity
With respect to modularity, the text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. The chapters are organized by two review chapters and then organized by cooking ingredient, respectively. The text should not be overly self-referential, and should be easily reorganized and realigned with various subunits of a course without presenting much disruption to the reader.
Organization/Structure/Flow
This textbook has a great organization, structure, and flow. The content and topics are presented in a logical, clear fashion. For example, the first two chapters a reviews of basic concepts and the subsequent chapters organized by ingredient specifically for the chemistry of cooking.
Interface
The text does not have significant interface issues, including navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, and any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader. The textbook takes this into account.
Grammatical Errors
There are very few if any grammatical errors. I did not notice any grammatical errors in this textbook.
Cultural Relevance
The book is very culturally sensitive. It includes many recipes from different ethnic groups and parts of the world that are well represented throughout the entire textbook.
CommentsOverall, the textbook was a great read, and I highly recommend it to those who are interested in the Chemistry of cooking.





From the title, I expected that the focus of the book would be looking into the chemistry behind common cooking scenarios. Instead, there is heavy coverage of general chemistry topics, but not much relation to cooking. In my opinion, this book... read more
Reviewed by Zohra Azim, Lecturer, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 11/22/22
Comprehensiveness
From the title, I expected that the focus of the book would be looking into the chemistry behind common cooking scenarios. Instead, there is heavy coverage of general chemistry topics, but not much relation to cooking. In my opinion, this book better serves those looking for information on food science, not cooking.
Content Accuracy
I did not experience any inaccuracies with the concepts discussed.
Relevance/Longevity
The information regarding basic chemistry concepts are up-to-date.
Clarity
The terminology is clear and the jargon is appropriate for the context.
Consistency
I did not experience inconsistencies in terminology, however there are some aspects that make the framework confusing. There are some examples that are unrelated to cooking or food science (ex: discussion of automobile catalytic converters on page 172) which I feel interrupts the flow.
Modularity
The texts provides references to many external sources and only few paragraphs are long blocks.
Organization/Structure/Flow
The topics are organized well enough to benefit from the book, however there is some room for improvement. For example, including more relatable cooking examples/recipes and discussing the relevant chemistry concepts underneath.
Interface
Some images are blurry and some paragraphs are not aligned in the pdf version I read, but overall there are not too many issues.
Grammatical Errors
I experienced no grammatical errors throughout the book.
Cultural Relevance
The book is inclusive and appropriate across different cultures.
CommentsI would like to see more of an explanation of the chemistry used in common cooking examples, which is something I believe general chemistry students will be able to relate to and benefit from. Right now, I think this book is good for students studying food chemistry.





The book has extensive coverage of the Chemical reactions, measurement, atoms, etc. What it is lacking is more relation to cooking. There are more typical examples you would find in a Chemistry Course. If I were to use this book it would be for... read more
Reviewed by Lisa Campbell, Instructor, Eastern New Mexico University on 12/10/21
Comprehensiveness
The book has extensive coverage of the Chemical reactions, measurement, atoms, etc. What it is lacking is more relation to cooking. There are more typical examples you would find in a Chemistry Course. If I were to use this book it would be for a Food Science Course to instruct students on the science aspects of culinary. I think of Alton Brown videos about the science behind the cooking/baking process. The information is accurate, concise and easy to understand. I just feel that it needs more food/culinary related examples.
Content Accuracy
The book is accurate and gives a concise and accurate picture of the chemistry behind the different aspects of cooking. For example the information on measurement not only gives the measurement values, it gives a background on what each measure is visually. The one thing I will take from this book is Kilogram mass comes from a measure of a cube of water at .1 meter. The accuracy of the book is both excellent and the explanations are fairly easy to understand.
Relevance/Longevity
The book is relevant and holds the interest. Cooking methods might change, but the science does not. There are a variety of cooking methods that use science to prepare food today such a Sous Vide with having a steak encased on plastic and placed in a temperature stable environment. The likelihood of this information being obsolete is probably low.
Clarity
The book is written in a technical style so it's important that it be accurate and explain concepts well for understanding. Sometimes the book overreaches its approach to explaining concepts. The ideal audience of the book would be either Food Science Technologist or Culinary Students and the book needs to speak to them with greater examples related to culinary and food science concepts.
Consistency
The book is consistence is relating the information. The book follows a technical style of writing, so there should be no guess work as to what each concept means or how it is presented. The audience for this book should come away with a technical knowledge of what the book contains. I do believe it does reach that, but as I have pointed out before, just more examples of the science of food and culinary need to be addressed.
Modularity
What is impressive to me is the fact that for the first 14 concepts presented in the book, it is done in a concise and example driven format. Most books that present the concepts in the book such as measurement or energy basics would be too far out for the audience of this book. I feel this book gets to the point faster and doesn't overstate its position.
Organization/Structure/Flow
I am very happy with the format the book. I again would use Chemistry of Cooking in a Food Science Course. I would expect to spend time on the chemistry and biological concepts that need to be understood in order to prepare students in the Culinary Industry or in Food Science Research. The fact that the book starts with Chemistry basics and then addresses each part of the ingredients is excellent.
Interface
I liked the examples I could click on and I didn't experience any glaring issues.
Grammatical Errors
The text to my experience does no having in glaring grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance
Due to the technical nature of the book, it comes from a science based background.
CommentsI plan on considering this book for a course I will be teaching in the the near future on Food Science. I enjoyed the way the book was presented. I can always use my own food examples for some of the Chemistry issues. I would just add that the impression from reading this book, it assumes that the instructor/professor has a basic understanding of chemistry.





The first couple of chapters of the book provides a good introduction of basic chemistry but it would have been more effective to explain concepts using food examples. The rest of the book is more of an encyclopedia of the different ingredients... read more
Reviewed by Martine Bissonnette, Faculty, Windward Community College on 4/21/21
Comprehensiveness
The first couple of chapters of the book provides a good introduction of basic chemistry but it would have been more effective to explain concepts using food examples. The rest of the book is more of an encyclopedia of the different ingredients used in cooking, it does not go into the cooking process of these ingredients. That list of ingredients and definitions is quite detailed.
Content Accuracy
The information appears to be accurate, the first two chapters extracted from the well-known and reviewed OpenStax Chemistry Textbook. The remaining chapters contain detailed descriptions of the various ingredients in baking and describe some uses but very few examples of cooking techniques and in some other chapters, chemistry concepts randomly appear (catalysts and Arrhenius equation, Bronsted-Lowry acid/base) without a connection being made to cooking.
Relevance/Longevity
This book can be used as an encyclopedia of the various ingredients used in cooking but should not be called chemistry of cooking. It focuses on chemical content of ingredients. Some topics didn't need to be discussed, for example, Kw and pOH are fundamental concepts rarely used when describing food chemistry. The pH and pOH exercises are not relevant to food chemistry. There are a couple of mentions of gluten but despite an extensive chapter on flour, no explanation on how the chemistry of gluten works.
Clarity
Each chapter is individually easy to read and understand but there is little flow/connection between chemical concepts and the way ingredients behave from a chemical perspective. For example, it would have been relevant to begin the section on salts by describing the chemical makeup of a salt and it's solubility in water.
Consistency
Very inconsistent from one chapter to the next. A lot of the information is cut/paste from other sources and the format of each chapter varies greatly. No connection between the different sections. Some chapters have practice exercises at the end of the section (if from OpenStax) but others don't.
Modularity
Since each chapter covers a specific topic, it could be used in small sections as a reference source on ingredient description (but not for learning about cooking). For example, if one wanted to know about flour, the various types are described.
Organization/Structure/Flow
The sections that deal with chemistry concepts appear randomly through the book and no connection to the ingredients is made. There was a missed opportunity to incorporate scientific concepts with each different ingredient, For example, the neutralization chemistry of baking soda is not described. Foods that can be made with the ingredients are named but there are no detailed cooking recipes.
Interface
The table and figures are numbered starting at 1 in each section - it would have been useful to keep track of the figures/tables throughout the manual so a specific table could be referenced instead of having to state: table 1 section 25 or table 1 section 42, etc... The section called Dessert Design Activity has no content.
Grammatical Errors
No grammatical errors were noticed.
Cultural Relevance
The book is relevant to most cultures but some sections only discuss US regulations while others focus on Canada. The book might not have as much relevance to readers of other countries.
CommentsThe book is an attempt at discussing the chemistry of cooking. There is an attempt at connecting chemistry concepts to ingredients but should not be titled chemistry of cooking since very few chemical transformations of foods are described. Since it's a free reference, I might use this book as a compendium of ingredients for my class.





The text covers the fundamental topics of chemistry and the understanding of how ingredients are used in cooking. The topics are interesting for anyone who loves science and cooking. read more
Reviewed by Kwok-Fan Chow, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell on 6/30/20
Comprehensiveness
The text covers the fundamental topics of chemistry and the understanding of how ingredients are used in cooking. The topics are interesting for anyone who loves science and cooking.
Content Accuracy
The information presented appears to be accurate.
Relevance/Longevity
The content is up-to-date and relevant to basic food chemistry. Updates will be beneficial when new products come to the market.
Clarity
The text is very easy to understand.
Consistency
The framework is consistent throughout the textbook.
Modularity
The searchable PDF format makes searching extremely easy.
Organization/Structure/Flow
In general, the topics are introduced in a logical fashion. Some fundamental concepts could be further explained in the later sections of the text.
Interface
It would be helpful if the figures and charts could be bigger in the PDF document.
Grammatical Errors
The text is very well-written.
Cultural Relevance
The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.
CommentsIt is a great introductory science textbook for non-science majors.





The text provides a table of contents but does not provide an index or glossary. The text appears to be geared more towards baking than cooking. The text covers most areas of food but does not cover proteins. read more
Reviewed by Wayne Yeatman, Associate Professor, Central Oregon Community College on 6/19/20
Comprehensiveness
The text provides a table of contents but does not provide an index or glossary. The text appears to be geared more towards baking than cooking. The text covers most areas of food but does not cover proteins.
Content Accuracy
The textbook appears to be very accurate and free from any bias. There does not appear to be any references sited at to the sources of the content.
Relevance/Longevity
The textbook us up to date and since it is about the chemistry of food (versus nutrition), not much changes so it should not become obsolete in a short period of time. Given the format of the text, updates should be relatively easy to implement.
Clarity
The text is very clear. The prose is straightforward. There are concise learning objectives before sections. There are very good definitions of technical terms to lead off sections, providing clarity.
Consistency
The terminology is consistent but the framework or layout is inconsistent and rather confusing.
Modularity
This text is very modular. In fact, in my teaching, I would easily apply just a portion of the text where it fits in with the curriculum I teach.
Organization/Structure/Flow
The organization seems scattered and often times random after going through the text. This is not evident by just viewing the table of contents.
Interface
The interface is somewhat text heavy. In other words, some breaks and variation on the way items are presented would be helpful. The images and charts seem a lot smaller than the text. In the photos with text, often the text is unreadable. There are what appear to be random indentations from page to page making it a bit confusing.
Grammatical Errors
Grammatically, it appears error-free.
Cultural Relevance
The text does not appear to be culturally insensitive and appears to be presented very objectively.
CommentsIt provides a great primer of overall chemistry (atoms, matter, etc,) which needed to understand the food chemistry portion of the textbook. It presents the way food functions on a molecular level which directly lends itself to one becoming a better cook.





easy to understand and flow was good read more
Reviewed by Mikeya Kirksey, adjunct professor, Bunker Hill Community College on 6/1/20
Comprehensiveness
easy to understand and flow was good
Content Accuracy
n/a
Relevance/Longevity
would like to see fruits and vegetables addressed in this book
Clarity
adequate context
Consistency
covers a range of topics
Modularity
smaller reading sections are within this book
Organization/Structure/Flow
very clear fashion and logical
Interface
no navigation issue however on my phone i had issues opening on my mac it was perfectly fine
Grammatical Errors
not that i noticed
Cultural Relevance
I think more backgrounds could have been covered
CommentsThis book flows well. I think a first year college student focusing on food chemistry would find this book easy to understand, I also think students not with a focus in science could understand this as well. It covers a variety of subjects.





This book is definitely recommended to the students who are majored in Food Chemistry and Food Science. It covered chemistry-related concepts, like inorganic, analytical, organic, and physical chemistry. Also, it provides other fun aspects like... read more
Reviewed by Wenjuan Tan, Chemistry Affiliate Faculty, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 3/30/20
Comprehensiveness
This book is definitely recommended to the students who are majored in Food Chemistry and Food Science. It covered chemistry-related concepts, like inorganic, analytical, organic, and physical chemistry. Also, it provides other fun aspects like the chemistry of phone, as well as giving cooking or food-related exercise questions.
However, if it could shorten the basic chemistry concepts (it takes up more than one-third of the book), and cover more cooking-related content, it will attract more scholars or students. Also, it covers a lot of essential cooking ingredients, but I didn't see any chapter covering fruits and vegetables, both of which contain essential compounds to our diet, like pigments, antioxidants, and carbohydrates.
Content Accuracy
It is an error-free book.
Relevance/Longevity
The first two chapter covers too much basic chemistry content, which we can easily find in general or introductory chemistry books. Also, some calculation examples are not relevant to the topic. Readers would expect to see more fun examples using ingredients as examples, wouldn't they?
Clarity
Some of the first-shown terms were not defined very well, and the author didn't go deeply to connect with the chemistry concepts.
Consistency
Overall, it is a good topic selection. Some calculation examples are off to the topic, chemistry of cooking. These examples can be found in any of the basic chemistry books.
Modularity
I would suggest the author to use more sub-titles, which could help with the navigation.
Organization/Structure/Flow
This book is written in a logical and clear fashion. However, somehow, it kind of jumps back and forth between chemistry and cooking ingredients, and failed in addressing the connection.
Interface
Some images are misaligned which would be confusing to students.
Grammatical Errors
No grammatical error was found.
Cultural Relevance
No cultural and offensive content was found.
CommentsIt is a very interesting and fun topic, most of the students and scholars will appreciate the resources.





First third is a refresher of basic chemistry. Second third covers more about ingredients than food chemistry and the last covers chemistry associated with taste. I feel the first section could be shortened and examples improved but will be using... read more
Reviewed by Daryl Holliday, Associate professor of Food Science, University of Holy Cross on 11/24/19
Comprehensiveness
First third is a refresher of basic chemistry. Second third covers more about ingredients than food chemistry and the last covers chemistry associated with taste. I feel the first section could be shortened and examples improved but will be using the work as an additional reference in our Food Chemistry course.
Content Accuracy
No errors detected but have read book completely; just sections
Relevance/Longevity
About 1/3rd of book has direct relevance to our course and teaching.
Clarity
The book moves through the material easily but never goes deeply in depth
Consistency
Various sections appear to be written by different authors and do not tie up together easily without additional information.
Modularity
Book is broken up into easy to read/assign sections but not quite a the level i would expect for a college course
Organization/Structure/Flow
Book organization is easy to follow and well thought out.
Interface
When viewing as PDF the pages appear to be misaligned but this is do to setting it as book rather than digital document. Also, having links verse images means students cannot print out sections and bring to class.
Grammatical Errors
No errors detected but have read book completely; just sections
Cultural Relevance
No in-sensitivities detected but have read book completely; just sections
CommentsI appreciate the resource and will be using significant parts of it but do not think it can replace the commercial textbooks at this time.





I think the basic principles are covered in a comprehensive manner but the flow could be better between the topics. More detail could have been included as to how the chemistry of the process works. Maybe more examples of why chemistry is... read more
Reviewed by Iona Black, Assistant Professor, James Madison University on 8/13/19
Comprehensiveness
I think the basic principles are covered in a comprehensive manner but the flow could be better between the topics. More detail could have been included as to how the chemistry of the process works. Maybe more examples of why chemistry is important could have been include in the beginning where chemistry fundamentals are discussed. In general has a comprehensive glossary.
Content Accuracy
I found it to be accurate regarding the chemistry . More reactions would have strengthened the content. Some typos regarding subscripts in empirical and molecular formula solutions in figure 2 regarding titanium dioxide and regarding acetic acid empirical and molecular formula figure 6 and empirical and molecular formula solution. For carvone the stereochemistry is lacking in figure 9.
Relevance/Longevity
I believe the connection between chemistry and cooking could be better integrated. More connections to fundamental concepts would have enhanced it's relevance to the title of text. Sticking to cooking examples and topics would enhance relevance.
Clarity
Definitions are straight forward . Written in understandable language for intended audience.
Consistency
Consistent with general chemistry and cooking but terms could have been integrated more. Some terms could have been incorporated more clearly such as oxidation and how cooking devices such as pressure cookers related to general principles of general chemistry.
Modularity
Easy to locate terms and sections.
Organization/Structure/Flow
There is a logical flow to topics for the most part and follows the table of contents.
Interface
The figures are easy to navigate and understand regarding figures, charts, graphs.
Grammatical Errors
Grammatically correct.
Cultural Relevance
Highlighting a couple of other international cultures would have added to the topic(s) since the readers are probably multicultural. It is however not offensive or insensitive to other cultures.
CommentsThis is a relevant interesting topic and a good attempt that could become an outstanding effort with a few changes/ additions/ corrections. As an online book i believe instructor presence is needed so synchronous vs asynchronous use.





As a GED instructor, I looked to this text to introduce basic chemistry concepts. It does this well. I was also looking for examples of basic chemistry in everyday cooking. I think the text could have been more straightforward in tying the... read more
Reviewed by Kristine Bryan, Adjunct GED Instructor, Chemeketa Community College on 4/25/19
Comprehensiveness
As a GED instructor, I looked to this text to introduce basic chemistry concepts. It does this well. I was also looking for examples of basic chemistry in everyday cooking. I think the text could have been more straightforward in tying the cooking concepts with the basic chemistry. As it is, there is a section at the beginning that covers basic chemistry, but it does not include any cooking examples. The text does provide an accurate index.
Content Accuracy
I found the text to be accurate and I did use parts of the text to introduce basic chemistry concepts to GED students.
Relevance/Longevity
I think the text could better integrate chemistry and cooking concepts. As it is, it is disjointed.
Clarity
GED preparation students were able to read and understand the text with limited instructor support.
Consistency
Again, I find this text to be disjointed. I would hope that future editions would integrate cooking concepts with the basic Chemistry section.
Modularity
I was easily able to take sections of this text to introduce basic chemistry to GED students. It was not an overwhelming task to find the sections that I wanted to use in class.
Organization/Structure/Flow
The book is organized as it states in the table to contents. This was easy to find and to use. Again, I would like to see more integration of the cooking and the chemistry content.
Interface
My class had no difficulties navigating or understanding the figures and content that we used in class.
Grammatical Errors
I did not find any grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance
The text was not insensitive or offensive. Cooking examples of a variety of ethnicity and backgrounds could make the text even more relevant to students.
CommentsIf nothing else, this text helped me as a GED instructor to understand chemistry content to teach to my students. However, I found the exact same basic chemistry content in other Open Resource textbooks. My hope was to find practical examples of basic chemistry to tie in with the instruction. Those examples were not easy to access in this text.





I was very excited to look at this textbook as we teach a similar course in Consumer Chemistry and was hoping that we could use some of the materials in here for our course. However, I was a bit disappointed. I do think that the topic is... read more
Reviewed by Patricia Flatt, Professor, Western Oregon University on 4/17/19
Comprehensiveness
I was very excited to look at this textbook as we teach a similar course in Consumer Chemistry and was hoping that we could use some of the materials in here for our course. However, I was a bit disappointed. I do think that the topic is amazingly interesting and there is a lot of potential for this book to become a great teaching resource. However, it the current state, the first two chapters which discuss basic general chemistry seem disjointed or disconnected from the topic of cooking, while the later chapters discussing elements of cooking, do not go far enough into the topics of chemistry to help discuss why chemistry is involved in cooking. For example, in the chapter discussing fat, they briefly describe emulsification agents, but they don't use this as an opportunity to describe the chemistry behind the process of emulsification or discuss polarity. These are missed opportunities within the text to elaborate more on fundamental chemistry processes.
Content Accuracy
The content delivered appears to be accurate and presented in an unbiased way, but is again lacking in chemistry detail that helps shed light on why cooking processes work the way that they do. Or it is presented without connection to the previous text. For example, the catalysis section begins with, 'We have seen that the rate of many reactions can be accelerated by catalysts.' However, I can't really find earlier reference in the text to catalysts or even any substantial chemical reactions.
Relevance/Longevity
The text reads more like a glossary of terms without having many useful pictures and figures. It also lacks in connections to fundamental concepts in chemistry. As an example, in the sugar section, glucose properties are listed and the term hygroscopic is used in the text for the first time. However, there is no discussion about what that term means or why certain substances display that characteristic.
Clarity
I felt that many of the new terms that are shown in bolded font were not defined well or connected back with their chemistry connections.
Consistency
I think the overall topic selection is fine and that this has the potential to be a very interesting course, if some of the examples given were elaborated on to discuss the chemistry properties that are inherent to them.
Modularity
This text is in searchable and table of contents driven PDF format. This works alright, but is a little frustrating for me in general to navigate. But that may just be my own preference for a hardcopy textbook. For a PDF file, it was pretty easy to find specific topics.
Organization/Structure/Flow
In general, I think the topics flow in a logical fashion and could be really interesting if connected better to their chemistry origins. However, as written, it jumps back and forth between chemistry and cooking, rather than integrating the chemistry concepts into the different areas of food products and cooking.
Interface
Yes, the figures that is does have are easy to navigate to and they are clearly presented. However, I don't feel that there are enough useful figures within the text. Many chapters are listing definitions of substances, more like a glossary.
Grammatical Errors
It was easy to read and was grammatically correct.
Cultural Relevance
The text is focused more on western baking ingredients. It could contain more referencing to international food processing/cooking methodologies and the chemistry contained within those processes.
CommentsI think it would be helpful to determine what chemistry content is required for the course and then find useful cooking examples to use to explain these phenomena. It would be much more dynamic and interesting that way....





The topics selected for for food chemistry were interesting, although I was surprised that there was little to no focus on fruits and vegetables. In the eggs sections I was also hoping for more explanation on the significant differences in... read more
Reviewed by Stacy Henle, NTT Instructor, Chemistry, Western Oregon University on 3/7/19
Comprehensiveness
The topics selected for for food chemistry were interesting, although I was surprised that there was little to no focus on fruits and vegetables. In the eggs sections I was also hoping for more explanation on the significant differences in strength between organic and store-bought egg shells, and other differences between the two.
Content Accuracy
The accuracy of the information was high, although accompanying actual chemical structures were limited. For example, it provided good information about agents cornstarch and/or gelatin but did not touch on their chemical structures / make-up. And in the case of casein mentioned in the coagulation section, it might have been useful to mention other uses, for example in adhesives, paints, and other industrial products.
Relevance/Longevity
There will always be an interest in food chemistry, as long as humans need to eat to stay alive.
Clarity
The textbook is very clearly and well written, and organized well. It was difficult to read when a hard copy was printed because the images didn't always match the text sizes (i.e. page 185 the images were difficult to read).
Consistency
Chapters are presented with consistent topic / conceptual depth within each chapter.
Modularity
I appreciated the background on matter and the elements and periodic table being at the beginning. However, I felt the acid / base section was oddly placed and would have been better at the beginning. The chapters otherwise were well presented.
Organization/Structure/Flow
See my comment in modularity about acids / bases.
Interface
As mentioned a few of the images are difficult to read.
Grammatical Errors
The textbook language is very well-written.
Cultural Relevance
Language used seems appropriate across cultures.
CommentsI would love to see additional aspects of food chemistry that surround organic versus traditional vegetables, meats, eggs, etc.





The text is rather comprehensive in its discussion of basic principles of general chemistry, up through page 100, and also in the general description of food materials and procedures of food processing. after page 100. What is greatly missing... read more
Reviewed by Edward Turos, Professor, University of South Florida on 3/27/18
Comprehensiveness
The text is rather comprehensive in its discussion of basic principles of general chemistry, up through page 100, and also in the general description of food materials and procedures of food processing. after page 100. What is greatly missing however is the combination of chemistry with cooking, which from the book title I thought would be the major focus. This is greatly lacking, in my opinion.
Content Accuracy
I did not find anything inaccurate per se, just not all that well-defined in many places (particularly in the cooking section, after page 100. Lots and lots of essential details could have been added, to interject chemistry into understanding the cooking of food and food processing. There are a plethora of typos that need to be fixed, such as the superscripts for cubic centimeter (pages 23/24 an din the glossary on pages 26/27, the subscripted numbers are mangled for H2, F2, Cl2, Br2, I2 (see page 84), TiO2 (page 85, two places), CH2O (page 86), the numbers in C6H12O6, C2H4O2, and CH2O (top to middle of page 86) should be subscripted. On page 88, the two chemical structures shown for D- and L-carvone do not depict stereochemistry, and are thus not proper enantiomeric structures. - they are, in fact, the same compound as drawn. On page 95, lines 1 and 3 under the table 1, the words after "polyatomic" and "oxygen atoms" are too mangled to read, at least on my pdf printout.
Relevance/Longevity
The book content can easily be divided into two discreet, non-interactive components: basic principals of general chemistry (pages 1-100), and cooking methods/materials (after page 100). There is virtually no mixing of the two components, although there are plenty of opportunities to do so. For instance, rather than discussing things like fuel cells and cell phones unrelated to cooking (see page 10, figs 11 and 12), the author could include examples from cooking and food processing. When discussing acid-base reactions, the author could leave out the sinkhole example, and perhaps describe food carbonation and release of carbon dioxide in acidic media.There are just very few examples of chemical explanations or of simple chemical phenomena mentioned in the entire cooking section, and there are certainly many scenarios where this can be done.
Clarity
The text is straightforward enough to read, albeit the embedded figures and schemes are almost irrelevant since they are far too difficult to even see. The much bigger issue regarding clarity are in the many figures and diagrams through out the text. In the pdf I printed out, almost none of the figures and diagrams are legible at all. Some are simply way too small or too blurry to see. Quick examples are Fig 5 (page 6), Figs 6 and 7 (page 7), Fig 9 (page 8), etc etc. In various places (for example, see page 10 and page 86), font appears well outside of the boxes, this is very distracting and unnecessary.
Consistency
The two components of the book (general chemistry principles versus cooking) seem to be consistent within their own own sections, but there is a clear dissection separating the two components as if two different authors wrote it (which was not actually the case). The general chemistry section is highly detailed, organized and systematic, while the cooking section is mostly verbal descriptions of what things are classified as, without much breakdown of chemical principles involved. Suitable examples are also not consistently presented especially n the cooking section (the ones that are do not seem relevant to cooking). The use of pressure cookers, for instance, to describe rapid food preparation and also a basic general chemistry principle, would be good to include in both sections. Oxidation chemistry is another important thing to put into both sections- rather than fuel cells maybe, talk about how foods cook or brown in air at high temperature through oxidation, or go sour, rancid, spoil, etc if left open to the air.
Modularity
As described above, the book is essentially two completely independent components on their own, one not benefitting the other. To a chemist, the book is not useful since the general chemistry principles can be found in any other general chemistry text, and to people interested in cooking, the section on that topic is a compendium of descriptions that are either expected to be memorized, or purposely intended not to be related to chemistry.
Organization/Structure/Flow
The author has to find a practical way to completely mix the general chemistry discussions with the cooking sections. I don't know how, but in the present state, there are no correlations between the two, and this makes the book almost useless to its readers.
Interface
See items 2 and 4 above, for the comments on this. The graphics really need a lot of work.
Grammatical Errors
The grammar seems suitable for the intended audience.
Cultural Relevance
To my reading, there are no issues of any kind in this regard. Perhaps the author could find pertinent examples of foods and chemistry used in cooking from different cultures to highlight that better, if that seems useful. That would actually add a nice dimension to the book.
CommentsI have said enough. The book is on an interesting topic, and with focused effort and critical evaluation fro m her peers, the author could have a gem of a book that would be useful to those interested in chemistry and in cooking. This would be worth the effort in my opinion.





The book does a great job covering the subject without much depth so that a beginning chef can clearly and easily understand the content. The topics were compared to everyday situations, making it very easy to relate to, even to the self taught... read more
Reviewed by Roberta Bernstetter, Cosmetology Instructor, Minnesota State Community and Technical College on 2/1/18
Comprehensiveness
The book does a great job covering the subject without much depth so that a beginning chef can clearly and easily understand the content. The topics were compared to everyday situations, making it very easy to relate to, even to the self taught chef or cooking enthusiast.
Content Accuracy
To my knowledge the text is accurate in both aspects of cooking and chemistry. The index is concise and the glossary at the end of each chapter does a good job at simply summarizing key points and definitions.
Relevance/Longevity
Basic chemistry like the topics discussed in the text (atoms, molecules, ions, measurements, energy basics, periodic table,etc.) should be relevant for a long time. It does a good job helping to understand the relevance of chemistry in cooking. I would imagine cooking techniques can vary, but the information in this text is fundamental basics that would remain relevant.
Clarity
The parts of the book I could relate to, and have basic understanding of, were very clearly written and appropriate for the intended audience. More importantly, topics unfamiliar to me were clearly written in a way that I have a better understanding of the concepts without confusion.
Consistency
The author did an excellent job of keeping the book terminology consistent from chapter to chapter, building on key concepts and integrating the information as it related to each different topic.
Modularity
The book has a clearly written table of content identifying each topic and subtopics in each chapter. Each section is small, yet thorough, which would make it easy to cover the intended content in an ample amount of time. When clicking on the chapter heading or subtopic in the table of content it directs you directly to that section of the book.
Organization/Structure/Flow
The material flows in a logical sequence. The text begins with the basics of chemistry and flows into cooking techniques and finally into understanding basic ingredients.
Interface
Being able to jump to specific chapters and subtopics quickly is very beneficial to students. This would be a must for me if there was an OER available in my line of expertise.
Grammatical Errors
This book appeared to be free from grammatical error.
Cultural Relevance
This text is not culturally insensitive or offensive.
CommentsAs a self taught chef, meaning I really don't know much at all, this book did a really good job at simplifying processes in cooking and helping mem to understand basic ingredients and what they are used for. Some of the information in the chemistry chapters will be integrated into my Basics of Chemistry cosmetology course. Great book!





The text covers a wide range of topics, starting with the basics of what is matter and its varying states to discussing the various food ingredients and how they lend themselves to cooking. The topics are covered in a very succinct manner. Each... read more
Reviewed by Nicolle Fernandes, Assistant Professor, LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York on 2/1/18
Comprehensiveness
The text covers a wide range of topics, starting with the basics of what is matter and its varying states to discussing the various food ingredients and how they lend themselves to cooking. The topics are covered in a very succinct manner. Each section concludes with exercises and a glossary.
Content Accuracy
The content is accurate. I did not find any inconsistencies with the material.
Relevance/Longevity
The content is up-to-date. The basics will remain the same however updates will need to be added as and when new products and/or processes are introduced/developed within the field/industry.
Clarity
The text is very straightforward, simple and easy to understand.
Consistency
The text is consistent across sections. There is a logical pattern that is maintained throughout the text.
Modularity
The text is modular and can be divided into smaller sections as needed.
Organization/Structure/Flow
The topics are presented in a clear, logical manner.
Interface
The interface is easy to access and use. I downloaded a PDF version of the text for review and faced no problems.
Grammatical Errors
I did not encounter and grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance
The found the text to be inclusive. For instance, when discussing the elements of taste the text listed salty, sweet, sour and bitter but also when on to include Asian elements of Umami, spicy and astringency. There are several other instances throughout the text as well.
CommentsThis text is written in a manner that is easy to understand and can certainly be used as a text for Food Science/ Food Chemistry at the beginner-level. I like that it has a small section on Herbs and Spices.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Essential Ideas
- Essential Ideas Introduction
- Phases and Classification of Matter
- Physical and Chemical Properties
- Measurements
- Measurement Uncertainty, Accuracy, and Precision
- Mathematical Treatment of Measurement Results
- Energy Basics
- Calorimetry
Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
- The Periodic Table
- Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
- Atomic Structure and Symbolism
- Chemical Formulas
- Molecular and Ionic Compounds
Cooking Techniques: Thickening and Concentrating Flavors
- Viscosity
- Thickening Agents
- Types of Thickening Agents
- Coagulation
- Gelatinization
- Crystallization
- Non-traditional thickeners
- Sauces
- Low-temperature and sous-vide
Understanding Ingredients: Flour
- Introduction -- Understanding Ingredients
- The History of Wheat Flour
- Milling of Wheat
- Flour Streams and Types of Wheat Flour
- Flour Terms and Treatments
- Flour Additives
- Whole Grain and Artisan Milling
- Flour in Baking
- Rye Flour
- Other Grains and Flours
Understanding Ingredients: Fat
- Understanding Fats and Oils
- Sources of Bakery Fats and Oils
- Major Fats and Oils Used in Bakeries
- Functions of Fat in Baking
Understanding Ingredients: Sugar
- Sugar Chemistry (ADD US)
- Sugar Refining
- The Application of Sugar
- Agave
- Glucose/Dextrose
- Honey
- Malt
- Maple Syrup (ADD US)
- Sugar Substitutes (ADD US)
Understanding Ingredients: Leavening Agents
- Catalysis
- Introduction to Leavening Agents
- Yeast
- The Functions of Yeast
- Using Yeast in Baking
- Introduction to Acid- bases
- Brønsted-Lowry Acids and Bases
- pH and pOH
- Baking Powder
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Ammonium Bicarbonate
- Water Hardness and pH
Understanding Ingredients: Dairy Products
- Introduction to Dairy Products
- Milk
- Milk Products ADD US
- Milk in bread baking
- Yogurt
- Lactose
- Cheese
Understanding Ingredients: Eggs
- Eggs Grade (ADD US)
- Composition and Nutrition
- Egg Products
- The Function of Eggs
- Storing Eggs
Chocolate
- From the Cocoa Bean to the Finished Chocolate
- Chocolate Produced for the Baking Industry
- Couverture
- Definitions and Regulations (ADD US)
Understanding Ingredients: Spices
- Elements of Taste
- Introduction to Salt
- Types of Salt
- Functions of Salt in Baking
- Using Salt in Fermented Doughs
- Storing Salt
- Introduction to Spices and Other Flavorings
- Seasoning and Flavoring
- Herbs
- Spices
- Flavorings in Baking
Appendix
About the Book
People around the world are fascinated about the preparation of food for eating. There are countless cooking books, TV shows, celebrity chefs and kitchen gadgets that make cooking an enjoyable activity for everyone. The chemistry of cooking course seeks to understand the science behind our most popular meals by studying the behavior of atoms and molecules present in food. This book is intended to give students a basic understanding of the chemistry involved in cooking such as caramelization, Maillard reaction, acid-base reactions, catalysis, and fermentation. Students will be able to use chemistry language to describe the process of cooking, apply chemistry knowledge to solve questions related to food, and ultimately create their own recipes.
About the Contributors
Author
Sorangel Rodriguez-Velazquez is a Professorial Lecturer in Department of Chemistry at American University.