Question 1

What is cooking?

Accepted Answer

Cooking is when we use heat to make food taste better and be safer to eat. It's like when you bake a cake or fry an egg.

Question 2

Why does bread rise?

Accepted Answer

Bread rises because of tiny things called yeast. When they eat sugar in the dough, they make little bubbles of air that help the bread get bigger.

Question 3

How does salt change food?

Accepted Answer

Salt makes food taste better and can help preserve it. It also helps bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients.

Question 4

Why does ice cream melt?

Accepted Answer

Ice cream melts because it turns from a solid to a liquid when it gets warm. Heat makes the molecules in the ice cream move faster, causing it to melt.

Question 5

What happens when water boils?

Accepted Answer

When water boils, it gets very hot and turns into steam, which is like water's 'invisible gas form'. This happens at 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celsius.

Question 6

How do eggs cook?

Accepted Answer

When you cook an egg, the heat changes its proteins, making them firmer and changing its texture from runny to solid. This is why raw eggs look different than cooked ones.

Question 7

Why does fruit turn brown when cut?

Accepted Answer

Fruit turns brown because the inside reacts with air. It's like apples are getting a little rusty, and squeezing lemon juice on them can help stop it by keeping air out.

Question 8

What makes spicy food hot?

Accepted Answer

Spicy food feels hot because it contains a chemical called capsaicin. This tricks your tongue into thinking it's on fire, even though it's not.

Question 9

Why does chocolate melt in your mouth?

Accepted Answer

Chocolate melts in your mouth because it's made of things like cocoa butter that change from solid to liquid at body temperature. Your mouth is warm enough to melt it.

Question 10

How does baking a cake work?

Accepted Answer

Baking a cake works by mixing ingredients like flour, eggs, sugar, and butter and then heating them. The heat makes the batter rise and turns it into a fluffy cake.

Question 11

What makes popcorn pop?

Accepted Answer

Popcorn pops because there's a bit of moisture inside each kernel. When heated, this turns to steam, building pressure until the kernel bursts open.

Question 12

How does sugar dissolve in water?

Accepted Answer

Sugar dissolves in water because the water molecules break up the sugar into tiny parts. This makes it look like the sugar disappears, but it's really just mixed in.

Question 13

Why do onions make you cry?

Accepted Answer

Onions make you cry because they release a gas when you cut them. This gas reacts with water in your eyes, creating something that can sting.

Question 14

How do gelatin desserts set?

Accepted Answer

Gelatin desserts set because when you cool down hot liquid with gelatin in it, the gelatin thickens and traps the liquid in a jiggly form. It's like making a wobbly solid.

Question 15

What is marinating?

Accepted Answer

Marinating is soaking food in a flavored liquid to make it taste better. The flavors soak in and can also make meats more tender.

Question 16

Why do we use yeast in bread?

Accepted Answer

We use yeast in bread to make it rise and get fluffy. The yeast eats the sugars and creates bubbles that puff up the dough.

Question 17

How does cheese get its flavor?

Accepted Answer

Cheese gets its flavor from bacteria and time. Different bacteria and how long the cheese ages give it different tastes.

Question 18

What happens when you grill meat?

Accepted Answer

When you grill meat, the heat cooks it and gives it a nice brown color and taste. This happens because the outside gets hotter and changes chemically.

Question 19

How do cookies get crunchy?

Accepted Answer

Cookies get crunchy by baking until they've lost enough moisture and their sugar starts to harden. Leaving them out to cool helps them get extra crispy.

Question 20

Why do we use oil in cooking?

Accepted Answer

We use oil in cooking because it helps cook things evenly and prevents them from sticking to the pan. It also adds flavor and can make food crispy.

The Science of Cooking: How Ingredients Interact - 20 FAQs Explained Simply