Have you ever guessed what is the secret behind the science of taste and flavour? Do you know if you are a supertaster? Supertaster is not the name of a new superhero and for sure –or maybe not– it will not be featured in the next Marvel movie but you should know that the supertasters are hiding among us, you might be one as well. … Continue reading Who are the supertasters and why is food so bitter to them
When we think about insects we have in mind the horrible creature that Kafka described in his Metamorphosis, or the unpleasant “guest” we sometimes host in our kitchens during warm summers. If you go and tell an Italian grandma that soon we will produce pasta with insect flour she would probably have a heart attack. Well, get ready foodies because this is already happening! It … Continue reading Grasshopper Pasta: Why insect-based food is the future, and how do western countries adapt?
Everyone of us has used chia seeds at least once in their lifetime. We can use chia seeds during our breakfast, when making bread, or making cereal bars. Chia seeds are native of southern Mexico and northern Guatemala and they were once used as a medicinal from Mayas and Aztecs. The word ‘chia’ means ‘strenght’ in Mayan and ancient warriors use to eat Chia seeds … Continue reading Superfoods, egg and fat replacers: meet Chia Seeds
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As most of us know, coffee is definitely among the most consumed commodity around the world and many people are drawn to it thanks to its peculiar flavour and taste which may range between woody and/or caramelised. 75% of the coffee that is produced around the worlds consist in Arabica (Coffea Arabica) while for its 25% it consists of Robusta (Coffea Canephora) (Mussatto et al., … Continue reading 4 more things you can do with coffee by-products
Being a Teaching Fellow in Food Science, I get asked quite a lot of times from students during our Open Days about what are the possible professional careers of people studying Food Science. I do really enjoy answering to that question because I have a lot to say about it and sometimes I ask directly to students what do they think a Food Scientist is. … Continue reading The roles of a Food Scientist
*Freebie checklist to download at the end of the blog post* Here you are, you have just started your semester and if you are scrolling down the pages of your assessment briefs, you are finding many mentions to the fact that you are supposed to demonstrate critical thinking skills. You are asked to critically assess a specific aspect of a topic. It might be difficult … Continue reading How to: Critical Thinking
In a world where many people are being aware of sustainability issues and are choosing to consume more plant-based proteins, it is the food scientist’s job to find novel strategies in order to look out for alternative plant proteins that can produce similar functionalities to the animal based ones. Let’s look at egg proteins, they are quite challenging to replace. Eggs are used thanks to … Continue reading Aquafaba and its potential as egg-replacer
*FREEBIE ALERT* Free week planner to download at the end of the article It is that time of the year again, a new semester is approaching and you need to get ready and start preparing for another fantastic round of learning, new friendships, challenges and victories.I normally consider September the moment when the real new year starts, the moment where you set your goals, you … Continue reading How to prepare for a new academic year
Elon Musk’s project of colonising Mars is no secret to anyone as well as his SpaceX company that has the focus and aim of bringing private citizens on the red planet starting from 2024. For humans to stay long term on Mars without relying entirely on supplies from Earth, an ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilisation) approach would be necessary. The main consumables needed to support … Continue reading Three things we would eat if we were living on Mars
There are many questions I am asked as a food scientist and among the many, ‘Can I use olive oil for frying? Is the most popular. I used to start lecturing on saturated fats, smoke points, mono-unsaturation, and poly-unsaturation. Then, I used to dive into the world of minor components, bioactive compounds, antioxidants, and so forth. There isn’t an answer that I can give that … Continue reading Which Oils are best for frying?
The Food Science Addict 