The Science of The Most Important Ingredient: Water

Why is Aunt Minnie in the hospital?

Because she fell on ice. But why did she fall? Because the ice was slippery. And why is ice slippery?

We take water for granted, but it has some unusual properties. These properties have a significant imapct on cooking: from the texture of food to the efficiency of heat transfer during cooking. Understanding these properties is essential for mastering the art and science of cooking.

Ice is slippery because water behaves in peculiar ways: it melts under pressure. When a person’s weight bears down on ice, it causes a thin layer to melt, creating a slick surface. Water is amoung the rare substances that expand when frozen and contract when melted. But why does water behave in this unusual manner? The answer is the hydrogen bond.