Question 1

What is the chemistry of cooking?

Accepted Answer

The chemistry of cooking is about how ingredients change when we cook them. It helps us understand why certain foods taste and look the way they do.

Question 2

Why do onions make you cry when you cut them?

Accepted Answer

Onions release a gas when cut that mixes with water in your eyes, making them sting. Your tears try to wash it away, so you cry.

Question 3

Why does bread rise when you bake it?

Accepted Answer

Bread rises because yeast makes little bubbles of gas in the dough. As the bread bakes, these bubbles make it light and fluffy.

Question 4

What makes cakes soft and fluffy?

Accepted Answer

Cakes become soft and fluffy because baking powder or baking soda makes bubbles in the batter. These bubbles expand when heated, making the cake rise.

Question 5

Why does an egg turn solid when cooked?

Accepted Answer

When you cook an egg, the heat causes its proteins to stick together, changing from a liquid to a solid. This is why eggs become firm when cooked.

Question 6

Why do cookies turn brown in the oven?

Accepted Answer

Cookies turn brown in the oven because the sugar reacts to heat, creating a sweet flavor and brown color. This process makes them taste sweet and yummy.

Question 7

What makes popcorn pop?

Accepted Answer

Popcorn pops because water inside the kernel heats up and turns to steam. The pressure builds until the kernel bursts open, making fluffy popcorn.

Question 8

Why does milk turn sour?

Accepted Answer

Milk turns sour when bacteria turn the sugar in it into acid. This makes the milk taste sour and thicker.

Question 9

Why do apples turn brown when you cut them?

Accepted Answer

Apples turn brown when cut because air reacts with substances in the apple. This reaction causes the brown color, but it's still okay to eat.

Question 10

What makes food spicy?

Accepted Answer

Spicy food often contains a compound called capsaicin, found in chili peppers. It tricks your brain into thinking your mouth is burning, even though it's not.

Question 11

Why does chocolate melt in your mouth?

Accepted Answer

Chocolate melts in your mouth because it contains fat that softens when it gets warm. Your body temperature is just right to melt the chocolate.

Question 12

Why do some foods smell so good when cooked?

Accepted Answer

When foods cook, heat releases aromas that we smell. These odors often signal that the food is tasty and ready to eat.

Question 13

Why does meat turn brown when cooked?

Accepted Answer

Meat turns brown when cooked because its proteins and sugars react to the heat. This reaction gives cooked meat its tasty flavor and brown color.

Question 14

How does sugar make candy hard?

Accepted Answer

When you melt sugar and let it cool, it hardens into candy. Heating the sugar removes the water and makes it solidify when cool.

Question 15

Why do eggs turn green when overcooked?

Accepted Answer

Eggs can turn green when overcooked because of a reaction between iron in the yolk and sulfur in the white. It doesn't taste bad, but may not look appealing.

Question 16

Why does butter melt but not bread?

Accepted Answer

Butter melts because it's made mostly of fat that softens with heat. Bread stays solid because it's mostly made of flour, which doesn't melt.

Question 17

Why do we use salt in cooking?

Accepted Answer

Salt is used in cooking to enhance flavor and make food taste better. It also helps with certain reactions, like making vegetables crispier.

Question 18

What makes donuts light and airy?

Accepted Answer

Donuts become light and airy because of yeast or baking powder, which create bubbles. They puff up when fried.

Question 19

Why do we marinate food?

Accepted Answer

Marinating food means soaking it in a flavorful liquid to add taste. The liquid helps to tenderize the food and make it more delicious.

Question 20

Why do cookies spread out when baked?

Accepted Answer

Cookies spread out in the oven because the butter in them melts. This makes the dough spread and become thinner as it bakes.

The Chemistry of Cooking: Reactions, Techniques, and Flavors - 20 FAQs Explained Simply