The science of food structuring

Abstract

Food structuring is discussed from the viewpoints of soft matter physics and molecular gastronomy. Food is one of the most complex types of soft matter, with multiple dispersed phases and even hierarchical structure. Food structuring seems to be a kind of art, comprising a careful balance between forces driving the system towards equilibrium and arresting forces. A more scientific approach to this complex matter is desirable, using (1) concepts from soft matter physics, e.g. free energy and jamming, and (2) complex disperse system (CDS) notation as developed for molecular gastronomy. Combining CDS with state diagrams renders a new tool for the qualitative description of the complex process of making structured foods.