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Examples of chemical reactions in cooking

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Dan

A chemical reaction occurs when one type of substance, called a reactant, changes into another different type of substance as a result of taking on or giving off energy and matter. The following are some examples of chemical reactions from the kitchen.

  1. Carbon Dioxide Production from Baking Soda and Vinegar
    Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. When baking soda is combined with vinegar, a chemical reaction occurs to create carbon dioxide (CO) gas, which makes your food light and fluffy.
  2. Lipid Production from Egg Whites
    Egg whites are composed primarily of water (about 80%) with about 18% protein. When egg whites are whipped with sugar, salt, and pepper, the protein combines with the moisture in the air to create small clumps of fat which solidify when they hit a hot griddle. These clumps are essentially small pieces of fat.
  3. Tomato Sauce Production from Cooked Tomatoes
    When tomatoes are cooked, they release water and break down structurally to create a thick sauce. This is an example of a dehydration reaction (loss of water) because of the texture and structure change as a result of water loss.
  4. Acid Production from Vinegar and Baking Soda
    When baking soda is combined with vinegar, a chemical reaction occurs to create carbon dioxide ( CO2)gas, which makes your food light and fluffy.
  5. Starch Production from Cooked Potatoes
    Potatoes are composed primarily of water (about 80%) and starch. When potatoes are cooked, the starches gelatinize in a way that makes them appear white and thick. This is an example of a hydrolysis reaction (meaning water was involved) because of the texture and structure change as a result of breaking down the complex chemical bonds between different parts of the potato into simpler components.

Conclusion
As you can see, chemical reactions in cooking are absolutely necessary to create many of the foods we eat. The potato chip would be just a piece of fried starch if it wasn’t for the chemical reaction that occurs when potatoes are cooked at high temperatures. Read more here – https://visimix.com/support/articles/

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