Kitchen Mysteries

Authored by French physical chemist Hervé This, a founding figure in the field of molecular gastronomy, this volume explores the scientific principles underlying everyday cooking techniques and culinary phenomena. Rather than presenting a collection of recipes, the book takes a narrative and explanatory approach, examining why ingredients behave as they do under heat, mixing, and other processes. It is aimed at curious home cooks and food enthusiasts with an interest in understanding the chemistry and physics behind familiar kitchen results. Published as part of Columbia University Press's series on culinary history and tradition, it situates the science of cooking within a broader intellectual and cultural context.