Kitchen Chemistry
Students are able to authentically connect concepts which bridge scientific and
culinary content areas.
Curriculum/State Standards
Science Inquiry and Application
During the years of grades 9 through
12, all students must use the following
scientific processes with appropriate
laboratory safety techniques to construct
their knowledge and understanding in all
science content areas:
• Identify questions and concepts that
guide scientific investigations;
• Design and conduct scientific
investigations;
• Use technology and mathematics
to improve investigations and
communications;
• Formulate and revise explanations and
models using logic and evidence (critical
thinking);
• Recognize and analyze explanations and
models; and
• Communicate and support a scientific
argument.
Intramolecular Chemical Bonding
In the physical science syllabus, atoms
with unpaired electrons tend to form
ionic and covalent bonds with other
atoms forming molecules, ionic lattices
or network covalent structures. In
this course, electron configurations,
electronegativity values and energy
considerations will be applied to bonding
and the properties of materials with
different types of bonding.
Atoms of many elements are more stable
as they are bonded to other atoms. In
such cases, as atoms bond, energy is
released to the surroundings resulting in
a system with lower energy. An atom’s
electron configuration, particularly the
valence elections, determines how
an atom interacts with other atoms.
Molecules, ionic lattices and network
covalent structures have different, yet
predictable, properties that depend on
the identity of the elements and the
types of bonds formed.
Differences in electronegativity values
can be used to predict where a bond
fits on the continuum between ionic
and covalent bonds. The polarity of a
bond depends on the electronegativity
difference and the distance between
the atoms (bond length). Polar covalent
bonds are introduced as an intermediary
between ionic and pure covalent bonds.
The concept of metallic bonding also
is introduced to explain many of the
properties of metals (e.g., conductivity).
Since most compounds contain multiple
bonds, a substance may contain more
than one type of bond. Compounds
containing carbon are an important
example of bonding, since carbon atoms
can bond together and with other atoms,
especially hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen
and sulfur, to form chains, rings and
branching networks that are present in a
variety of compounds, including synthetic
polymers, fossil fuels and the large
molecules essential to life. Detailed study
of the structure of molecules responsible
for life is reserved for more advanced
courses.
Overview
Through a series of four laboratory
experiments, students were able to
connect chemistry, culinary arts, and
history by engaging in hands-on, real
world applications.
THIS WINNING PROJECT IDEA SUBMITTED BY:
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Jeff Ungerer
Fairbanks High School
Milford Center, OH
11-12
GRADE LEVEL
2
WEEKS
$500
TOTAL BUDGET
Kitchen Chemistry
....continued....
Objectives
The student will investigate,
make practical use of, and
explain the physical and chemical
transformations of ingredients
that occur while cooking.
The student will research food
chemistry in scientific and
culinary literature.
The student will formulate
scientific questions that are,
personally, meaningful for further
investigation.
The student will identify
functional groups.
The student will explain the role
of functional groups in molecular
gastronomy.
The student will demonstrate
proper laboratory techniques
when measuring mass and
volume.
Materials
Not Your Average Rice Krispie
Treats: Karo, brown sugar,
Rice Krispies, peanut butter,
margarine, aluminum foil, 2 quart
sauce pans, 16 ounce styrofoam
cups, 8 ounce styrofoam cups
Mock Apple Pie: sugar, cream of
tartar, Ritz crackers, cinnamon,
nutmeg, butter, double pie crusts
Chocolate Cayenne Chemistry:
hot chocolate mix, cayenne
pepper
Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream: half
and half, heavy whipping cream,
vanilla, sugar, bacon
Readiness Activity
The activities described in this
project were used at the end
of a unit on organic chemistry.
Previous knowledge included:
covalent bonding, polarity,
nomenclature, and functional
groups.
Strategies/Activities
In groups of 4, students will
follow a recipe to create Rice
Krispie Treats. The recipe
and procedure is as follows:
Ingredients: • Corn syrup •
Brown sugar • Creamy peanut
butter • Rice Krispies • Margarine
Materials: • Two-Quart saucepan
• Hotplate • Spoons, knife • 1
Large Styrofoam Cup (16 ounce
size) • 4 Small Styrofoam Cups (8
ounce size) Measurement of the
Ingredients: • Rice Krispies: One
large cup and one small cup. (Do
not overfill) • Brown Sugar: 75
– 80 grams of brown sugar into
a small cup. • Corn Syrup: 150
grams of corn syrup into a small
cup. • Peanut Butter: 140 grams
into a small cup. • Aluminum
Foil: 30 cm length of aluminum
foil. Put a light coating of butter
on one side. Procedure: 1. Add
corn syrup and brown sugar to
the saucepan. Mix the corn syrup
and sugar and then heat until
the mixture begins to bubble. 2.
Remove the saucepan from the
hotplate and add peanut butter.
Stir thoroughly and resume
heating for 60 seconds with
constant stirring. 3. Continue
stirring and resume heating with
constant stirring for one minute.
4. Remove from heat and add
cereal. Stir thoroughly to blend
cereal with hot brown syrup. 5.
Use a spoon to scoop cereal from
the saucepan and place onto
the greased aluminum foil pan.
Quickly press into place with wet
hands. The treats seem to taste
best when no more than 2.54
cm thick. 6. Allow to cool before
cutting with a knife. Reference for
recipe: Jeff Bracken, Westerville
North High School (personal
communication), 2002.
In groups of 4, students will
follow a recipe to create Mock
Apple Pie. The pies will be
baked in the ovens in the Family
Consumer Science room. The
recipe and procedure is as
follows: Ingredients for 9-inch
pie: • Water (2 Cups) • White
Sugar (1.25 cups) • Cream
of Tartar (2 teaspoons) • Ritz
Crackers (28 crackers) • Ground
cinnamon (1 teaspoon) • Ground
nutmeg (0.25 teaspoon) • Butter
(1 tablespoon) • Recipe pastry
for a 9-inch double crust pie
Prep Time: approx. 30 minutes
Baking Time: approx. 90 minutes.
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to
350°F (175°C). 2. Line a 9-inch
pie dish with pastry. 3. In a
2-quart saucepan, combine water
and sugar. Cook over high heat
until boiling. 4. Add cream of
tartar and reduce heat to simmer.
5. Break crackers in bits (size
of a dime or so) and add these
slowly while stirring. Continue to
stir until mixture is translucent.
6. Remove from heat and stir in
cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter.
7. Let filling cool and then pour
into pie crust. Cover with the
top crust, seal, and flute edges.
Bake in the preheated oven for
60-75 minutes or until golden
brown. Reference for recipe: Jo
Vandevelde as posted at www.
allrecipes.com.
Following a presentation about
the history of chocolate and
hot pepper in Mayan and other
ancient cultures, students will
experience the sensation of
incorporating cayenne pepper into
Kitchen Chemistry
....continued....
modern hot chocolate. Students
will make a cup of modern hot
chocolate. The instructor will then
add a very slight dash of cayenne
pepper to their cup so that the
hot sensation would not be
noticeable. (Even at a very small
concentration, cayenne pepper
enhances the flavor of modern
hot chocolate without a burning
sensation.) Students will stir and
then sip the hot chocolate. If they
would like more cayenne pepper,
they will adjust the flavor until
they find their ideal ratio. If they
care for no more, no problem.
Personal taste is the determining
factor in the ratio during this
experiment as we all have a
unique level of capsaicin (what
makes a hot pepper hot) that we
enjoy.
Students will prepare ice cream
base mixtures with and without
bacon. Students will be required
to make identical vanilla ice
cream recipes with bacon as the
variable. Students will stir the
base mixtures as the instructor
pours the liquid nitrogen into a
metal bowl. Discussion will ensue
about the amazing “smoke”
(condensed water vapor) that is
created in the process and rolls
out of the bowl over the sides of
the table and makes student’s
feet cold.
Culminating Activity
Not Your Average Rice Krispie
Treats
Students enjoyed the
dehydration, isomerization,
and polymerization of sugars!
Students discussed and compared
their creations with their peers.
Mock Apple Pie
Students enjoyed their creations.
Students discussed and compared
their creations with their peers.
Chocolate Cayenne Chemistry
A class discussion followed about
students’ taste perceptions.
Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream
Students compared the bacon ice
cream to the vanilla ice cream.
Evaluation Method
Not Your Average Rice Krispie
Treats
Students were given the following
information: 1. When sugar is
heated, a physical change occurs
at first. As the temperature
continues to increase, a chemical
change occurs. 2. Brown sugar is
mostly sucrose, a disaccharide.
Corn syrup is mostly dextrose, a
monosaccharide, and maltose, a
disaccharide. 3. A list of websites
with information pertinent
to the assignment. Students
researched the websites and
submitted written response to
the following question. “Assume
that the maximum temperature
during any heating step reached
115°C. Describe the chemical
changes in the sugars used in
our experiment.” A rubric was
used to assess the quality of the
response.
Mock Apple Pie
Students were given a list
of websites that address the
chemistry of cream of tartar.
Students submitted a written
response to the following
questions. 1. Describe the roles of
cream of tartar in our experiment.
2. Describe the roles of Ritz
crackers in our experiment. (Uhoh! Time to start thinking!) 3.
Why did this experiment taste like
apple pie? (This is much more
open ended. Have you noticed
that I haven’t given you any
references. Time to dig deep!)
A rubric was used to assess the
quality of the responses.
Chocolate Cayenne Chemistry
Students were given the chemical
structure of capsaicin with the
following assignment. “Although
the documentation of adding
hot pepper to chocolate dates to
ancient cultures, the chemistry
behind why this combination
works is not well documented in
the literature. It may surprise you
to learn that our understanding
of chocolate is incomplete.
Much research continues to try
to understand the chemistry of
chocolate. The same can be said
about capsaicin. 1. Think about
your experiences with chocolate
or capsaicin, separately. Now,
think about them like a scientist.
‘Why does chocolate or capsaicin
... (you fill in that blank with
something interesting to you.)?’
You only need to choose one
topic -- chocolate or capsaicin.
2. Search the internet for that
question. 3. Identify scientific
topics that are not yet understood
and are still being researched.
You must include all references.”
A rubric was used to assess the
quality of the responses. A test
question followed asking students
to identify the functional groups
of capsaicin.
Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream
Final exam question: “Consider
the structures of capsaicin and
vanillin. Would a chef trained in
Chemistry expect cayenne pepper
ice cream to be delicious? Explain
Kitchen Chemistry
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your answer in chemical terms
rather than personal preferences.
Answers that address only the
latter will receive zero points.”