Available From UC Press

Food Chemistry in Small Bites takes readers on an up-close scientific journey through the transformation of food when meals are prepared. Organized in bite-size, digestible units, this innovative text introduces students to food's molecular makeup as well as the perception of food by the five senses. Using familiar foods as examples, it explores what happens to ingredients when heated, cooled, or treated and also considers what happens when materials that don’t naturally mix are forced to do so.
 
With informative, full-color renderings and a hands-on lab section, the book encourages students to think like scientists while preparing delicious dishes. Readers will formulate hypotheses as to why certain foods taste hot despite being at room temperature, why milk separates into curds and whey when lemon is added, and other ordinary but chemically complex phenomena. This book also importantly challenges readers to think critically about the future of food in the face of a warming planet.

Patricia B. O’Hara is the Amanda and Lisa Cross Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Biophysics at Amherst College, coauthor of The Chemical Story of Olive Oil, and author of numerous scholarly research publications.

"Not only does this excellent account explain authoritatively the connection between chemistry and cooking, it makes a compelling case that the food we eat must change to make a more sustainable world to live in."—Richard Zare, Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor of Natural Science, Department of Chemistry, Stanford University

"Masterfully demystifies the fundamental chemistry of our lives, turning it into practical kitchen wisdom. A must-read for all science of cooking enthusiasts!"—Pia Sörensen, coauthor of Science and Cooking and Senior Preceptor in Chemical Engineering and Applied Materials, Harvard University