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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The Science of Gastronomy

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology via Coursera

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Overview

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This course introduces several basic scientific principles underpinning the methodology of cooking, food preparation, and the enjoyment of food. All topics covered have a strong basis in biology, chemistry, and physics application. Among others, they include the consumption of cooked food, the physiological and evolutionary implications of the senses, geographic and cultural influences on food, and the rationale behind food preparation. We will also discuss issues such as coupling of senses to improve sense stimulation; altering flavor by chemical means, and modification of the coloration to improve the appearance of dishes. Following the video demonstrations of the scientific principles of cooking, you will learn to recognize the key ingredients and their combinations for preparing good healthy food. You will also be asked to try out and practice specific cooking principles through the weekly assignments; analyze your data and make comparisons of your experiences with others. At the end of this course, you will be able to: - appreciate the scientific basis of various recipes. - develop your own recipes by integrating some of the scientific principles into new dishes. - recognize the influence of the material world on human perception from the different senses. - appreciate the art of integrating science into cooking and dining. Important Note: This course is not designed for people with special dietary needs such as vegetarian, diabetic, and gluten-free diets. If you feel uncomfortable with any part of the assignments or activities of this course, you can substitute some of the ingredients or ask friends and family members to help with the tasting of your assignments. Alternatively, you may skip that specific assignment if you have fulfilled all other qualifying requirements to pass the course. Course Overview video: https://www.coursera.org/lecture/gastronomy/course-overview-43gyz

Syllabus

  • Orientation | Module 1: Energy Transfer
    • Before you start with the content for Energy Transfer, please watch the Course Overview, review the Grading Scheme, and read the Important Note on special dietary needs.
  • Module 2: Hunger and Satiety
    • This week, we will talk about Hunger and Satiety. There will be two interesting assignments for you to work on.
  • Module 3: The Sense of Taste
    • This week, we will talk about how food flavor affects our perception of taste. Again, there will be two interesting assignments for you to work on.
  • Module 4: The Sense of Smell
    • This week, we will talk about how the aroma of food affects our perception of taste. We have prepared one assignment on this topic for you to work on.
  • Module 5: The Sense of Sight
    • This week, we will talk about how the color of food affects our perception of taste.
  • Module 6: The Sense of Touch
    • This week, we will talk about how the texture of food affects our perception of taste. There will be two interesting assignments for you to work on.
  • Module 7: Fruits and Vegetables | Final Exam
    • This week, we will see how fruits and vegetables can enhance the quality of cooking. There will be one assignment related to this topic for you to work on. After completing all the content, it's time to test your understanding of the entire course. Take the final exam and help review this course. Your valuable feedback will certainly help us improve future iterations of the course.

Taught by

King Chow and Lam Lung Yeung

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Reviews

4.5 rating, based on 174 Class Central reviews

4.6 rating at Coursera based on 757 ratings

Start your review of The Science of Gastronomy

  • Wang Zhenzhen
    This culinary course has been an immensely rewarding experience for me. Not only did I learn exquisite cooking skills, but I also got to taste delicious dishes. The course content was rich and diverse, covering a variety of cuisines including Chines…
  • Anonymous
    I went through all the 6 weeks (didn't pay for it so I just could take a look into the assignments). I felt disapointed since the beginning but it became worse from module 8 to the end. I will point out couple of reasons: - Too much time spent in re…
  • Anonymous
    "The Science of Gastronomy" offered by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology via Coursera is an enlightening and engaging course. It brilliantly combines the science behind food with culinary techniques, providing insights into taste, texture, and the chemical processes involved in cooking. The instructors explain complex scientific concepts in an easy-to-understand manner, making it accessible to all learners, whether they have a background in science or not. The course content is interactive, with fun experiments that help reinforce the material. A must-take for anyone interested in the science behind cooking!
  • Anonymous
    This course was very fun and interesting and I also learned a lot of facts. I had a lot of fun tricking my parents and telling my mom how to make her food even better!
  • Anonymous
    Perfect mix of chemistry, food quality, cooking techniques and so much more that enhances your food knowledge; if you think you know food you MUST do this course to know better. The lectures are well explained and appropriate examples given in each topic. The tests are equally fun!
  • Anonymous
    a great way to learn about Gastronomy. i enjoyed the course from start to finish. i learned so many new things and i will continue to pursue my interest in gastronomy. this is a fun, very interesting and very informative course. i highly recommend this course to others.
  • Anonymous
    Muy completa e interesante la información del curso. Es un curso que complementa perfectamente a un Chef por que nos genera un conocimiento mas profundo de los alimentos. Sobre como influyen las texturas, temperaturas, colores, aromas en todas las preparaciones que hacemos,
  • Anonymous
    Course was taught well, with a number of easy to follow instructions,demonstrations and additional information to allow students to go beyond the course objectives and continue with self study.

    Thank you for the experience.
  • Anonymous
    This course was really fun and i learned a lot of tricks that i hope i can put to use soon. Also the fact that it had chemistry on it which is one of my favorite subjects just made it better. I would totally recommend taking it
  • Anonymous
    Buen curso, gracias por apoyarnos en la ciencia de la gastronomía, es importante conocer los diferentes factores para la realización de platillos y para que estos sean los mejores y más nutritivos. Saludos!!
  • Anonymous
    Excellent course , I highly reccomend the people who would like to understand about cooking science .
  • Anonymous
    This course introduces a number of basic scientific principles underpinning the methodology of cooking, food preparation and the enjoyment of food. All topics covered have a strong basis in biology, chemistry, and physics application. Among others, they include the consumption of cooked food, the physiological and evolutionary implication of the senses, geographic and cultural influences on food, and the rationale behind food preparation. We will also discuss issues such as coupling of senses to improve sense stimulation; altering flavor by chemical means; and modification of the coloration to improve the appearance of dishes.
  • Profile image for LaDawn Jacoby
    LaDawn Jacoby
    I enjoyed this class very much. The course is very fun and hands-on. I learned a lot about food handling in preparation. And I'm happy to have learned a lot about food handling in preparation. Thank you!
  • Anonymous
    This course has basic but very detailed and important contents. Assignments are fun to do. This course has helped me understanding the taste, smell, appearance, touch and texture of food.
  • Anonymous
    This is one the most detailed courses I have seen.
    Very well delivered and fun. Lectures and visual aids are good and demonstrations are much appreciated as they aid comprehension of concepts.
  • Anonymous
    Only three stars despite excellent contents (delivery for a paid option should be better) • The content is extremely interesting (I really found it fascinating) and it is clear that a lot of effort was put in preparing the course. Very good downloa…
  • Anonymous
    Professor goes beyond the normal course, has assistances that create a very great understand and yet entertaining method to do so. Great and fun course!
  • Anonymous
    The Science of Gastronomy on Coursera, offered by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, is an enlightening journey into the science behind food and cooking. The course is well-structured, with each module delving into specific aspects…
  • Anonymous
    WOW! Never thought that there was so much science involved in gastronomy. This was not an easy course. A background (basis) in chemistry, physics and biology would be helpful. Demonstrations and assignments enhanced the learning experience. Slides were too crowded (too much information. As a rule there are six lines per slide and six words per line). English pronunciation should be improved. This also had an impact on the transcript which at times was incomprehensible. Recommended with the above caveats.
  • Hala Saleel
    too lagging but an informative course, Great course. I learned a lot about food preparation and why we cook foods certain ways. The demonstrations were great and interesting. The instructors were very engaging and seemed excited about what they were teaching. The assignments were great in helping me to understand different things I learned in the lectures. I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in food preparation.
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