Index

A topic-keyed index for The Science of Cooking. References are by chapter (e.g., Ch 8 for "Chapter 8") and occasionally by appendix (e.g., App. D). Where a topic spans multiple chapters, the bold chapter is the primary treatment.

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A

Acetic acid bacteria — Ch 30, Ch 33, Ch 34
Acid coagulation (cheese-making) — Ch 16, Ch 32
Acidity in cooking — Ch 5; ranks of acids; tomato/citrus/vinegar Ch 5; in marinades Ch 5, Ch 15; in baking Ch 5, Ch 17; in fermentation Ch 30, Ch 33
Acrylamide — Ch 8 (Maillard byproduct), Ch 26 (grilling)
Aerobic fermentation — Ch 30, Ch 33 (vinegar)
Aging (meat) — Ch 13, Ch 15
Aging (cheese) — Ch 16, Ch 32
Allergens — App. D, Ch 14 (eggs), Ch 16 (dairy), Ch 17 (wheat), Ch 19 (peanuts/tree nuts/soy/sesame), Ch 35 (food safety)
Allium chemistry (onion, garlic) — Ch 13, Ch 22, Ch 18
Altitude (cooking adjustments) — Ch 23, App. A
Amino acids — Ch 7, Ch 8 (Maillard)
Amylase — Ch 13, Ch 17 (malt), Ch 31 (mashing)
Anaerobic fermentation — Ch 30, Ch 31 (alcoholic), Ch 33 (lactic acid)
Anchor foods (bread/steak/pickles/chocolate) — _continuity.md, throughout the book
Anthocyanin — Ch 18, Pat's red cabbage demo
Aquafaba — Ch 12, Ch 14, Ch 19
Aroma compounds — Ch 6, Ch 8 (Maillard volatiles), Ch 22 (volatile spice oils)
Asado — Ch 26, App. G

B

Baker's percentages — Ch 17, App. E
Baking powder vs baking soda — Ch 5, Ch 24
Baking — Ch 24, Ch 17 (bread)
Baking soda + cabbage — Ch 18 (alkaline + chlorophyll); + curing — Ch 36
Banana ripening — Ch 18 (ethylene)
Beer brewing — Ch 31
Beverages (NEW chapter) — Ch 21, Ch 28 (cold brew, cocktails), Ch 34 (coffee/tea fermentation)
Black pepper — Ch 22 (piperine, curcumin synergy)
Bloom (chocolate) — Ch 11, Ch 20
Blooming spices — Ch 11, Ch 22
Boiling — Ch 23
Botulism — Ch 35, Ch 36 (canning safety, esp. low-acid)
Brining — Ch 3, Ch 14, Ch 15
Browning — Ch 8 (Maillard), Ch 10 (caramelization), Ch 13 (enzymatic)
Buttermilk — Ch 16, Ch 32; substitute App. D

C

Cacao — Ch 20, Ch 34 (fermentation), App. G
Caffeine — Ch 21, Ch 37
Cake structure — Ch 9, Ch 12, Ch 24
Calorie (nutrition) — Ch 37
Canning — Ch 35, Ch 36
Caramelization — Ch 10; on chocolate Ch 20; on coffee Ch 21
Carbohydrates — Ch 9
Carryover cooking — Ch 4, Ch 15, Ch 24
Casein — Ch 16, Ch 32 (cheese)
Catalysis (enzymes) — Ch 13
Celiac disease — Ch 17, App. D
Cellulose — Ch 9, Ch 18
Cheese — Ch 16 (fundamentals), Ch 32 (fermentation), App. F (mastery track #2)
Chemesthesis — Ch 6, Ch 22
Chicha — Ch 31, App. G
Chlorophyll — Ch 18
Chocolate — Ch 20, Ch 34 (fermentation), App. F (mastery track #3)
Chymosin (rennet enzyme) — Ch 13, Ch 32
Climacteric fruit — Ch 18
Clostridium botulinum — Ch 35, Ch 36
Coffee — Ch 21 (brewing), Ch 34 (fermentation), App. F (mastery track #5)
Cold and ice — Ch 28 (NEW chapter)
Collagen — Ch 7, Ch 15, Ch 26 (BBQ collagen conversion)
Conduction — Ch 4
Consommé — Ch 23 (filtration; clarification)
Convection — Ch 4, Ch 24 (oven convection)
Cooking methods — Part IV (Ch 23-29)
Cookies spread — Ch 9, Ch 24
Cream — Ch 11, Ch 16
Cream of tartar — Ch 5, Ch 10, Ch 12
Crystals — Ch 10 (sugar), Ch 20 (cocoa butter polymorphism), Ch 28 (ice crystals)
Curing — Ch 3, Ch 15, Ch 36
Custard — Ch 14, Ch 28 (ice cream base)

D

Dairy — Ch 16, Ch 32
Danger zone (food safety) — Ch 35
Dashi — Ch 6, Ch 23, App. G (Japan)
Dehydration — Ch 36
Denaturation (protein) — Ch 7
Direct trade (coffee, cacao) — Ch 34 (case study 2)
Discovery of umami — Ch 6 (Ikeda 1908)
Dough hydration — Ch 17, App. E (baker's %)
Drying (preservation) — Ch 36
Dry heat — Ch 24

E

Eggs — Ch 14, App. D (substitutes)
Emulsions — Ch 11, Ch 14 (mayonnaise/hollandaise)
Enzymatic browning — Ch 13, Ch 18
Enzymes — Ch 13
Equipment — App. C (Kitchen Lab Master List), instructor-guide/equipment-shopping-lists.md
Ethanol — Ch 30, Ch 31
Ethylene — Ch 18

F

Fair Trade — Ch 34 (case study 2)
Fats — Ch 11
Fatty acids — Ch 11, Ch 37 (dietary fat)
Fermentation — Ch 30 (gateway), Ch 31 (bread/beer), Ch 32 (cheese/yogurt), Ch 33 (pickles/kimchi/miso), Ch 34 (coffee/tea/cacao)
Fermented vegetables — Ch 33, App. F (mastery track #4)
Fish sauce — Ch 33 (nam pla, garum, etc.)
Five tastes — Ch 6
Flavor vs taste vs aroma — Ch 6
Foams — Ch 12 (NEW chapter), Ch 14 (egg white), Ch 16 (whipped cream)
Food preservation — Ch 36
Food safety — Ch 35
Frying — Ch 25

G

Gas chromatography (in flavor analysis) — Ch 6
Gelatin — Ch 7, Ch 15, Ch 23 (stock), Ch 26 (BBQ)
Gelatinization (starch) — Ch 9, Ch 17
Ghee — Ch 11
Gluten — Ch 7, Ch 17
Gluten-free — Ch 17, App. D
Glycolysis — Ch 30, Ch 31
Grilling — Ch 26

H

Heat transfer — Ch 4
Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) — Ch 26
High-heat cooking — Ch 24, Ch 25, Ch 26
Hodge mechanism — Ch 8 (Maillard pathway naming)
Honey — Ch 10 (sugar chemistry), Ch 35 (no honey for infants), Ch 36 (preservation)
Hydrocolloids — Ch 9, Ch 18 (pectin), Ch 38 (modernist)
Hydration (in dough) — Ch 17

I

Ice — Ch 28, Ch 21 (cocktails)
Ice cream — Ch 28, Ch 16
Indigenous food traditions — App. G; Mesoamerican (Ch 17 nixtamalization, Ch 20 cacao, Ch 34 cacao); North American (App. G); Andean (App. G); other regions throughout
Induction cooking — Ch 29
Insect protein — Ch 19, Ch 38, App. G
Instant pot — Ch 29
Inversion (sugar) — Ch 10
Isoelectric point (casein) — Ch 32

K

Kefir — Ch 16, Ch 32, App. G
Kimchi — Ch 33; cultural sensitivity throughout
Kitchen Lab (concept) — Ch 1, every chapter, App. C
Koji — Ch 30, Ch 33 (Japan's "national microbe")
Kombucha — Ch 30, Ch 32

L

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) — Ch 30, Ch 32 (cheese/yogurt), Ch 33 (vegetables)
Lactose — Ch 13, Ch 16, App. D (intolerance)
Lactose intolerance — Ch 13, Ch 16, Ch 32 (aged cheese tolerance)
Latent heat of vaporization — Ch 2, Ch 23 (steam)
Lecithin — Ch 11, Ch 14 (mayo emulsifier)
Legumes — Ch 19
Lipids — Ch 11, App. D (substitutes)
Liquid nitrogen — Ch 28, Ch 38

M

Maillard reaction — Ch 8; on bread crust Ch 17, Ch 24; on steak Ch 15; on cocoa Ch 20, Ch 34; on coffee Ch 21, Ch 34
Malting (grain) — Ch 13, Ch 17, Ch 31
Marinades — Ch 5, Ch 15
Mastery food (the project) — _continuity.md, App. F, every chapter's key-takeaways.md
Maya Okonkwo (running character) — _continuity.md; key appearances Ch 1, 17, 39, 40
Meat — Ch 15, Ch 23 (braising), Ch 26 (BBQ), Ch 27 (sous vide)
Melanoidin (Maillard pigment) — Ch 8
Meringue — Ch 12
Microbial succession — Ch 30, Ch 33 (kimchi), Ch 34 (cacao)
Microwave — Ch 29
Milk — Ch 16
Miso — Ch 33, App. G (Japan)
Modernist cuisine — Ch 38, App. H (further reading)
Mole sauce — Ch 22, App. G (Mexico)
MSG — Ch 6 (history; debunking "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome")
Myoglobin — Ch 15, Ch 26 (smoke ring)

N

Nitrite / Nitrate — Ch 15, Ch 36 (curing chemistry)
Nixtamalization — Ch 17 (Mesoamerican origin)
Nutrition — Ch 37
Nuts — Ch 19

O

Oils — Ch 11
Olfaction — Ch 6 (orthonasal vs retronasal)
Onions — Ch 13 (alliinase), Ch 18, Ch 22
Osmosis — Ch 3, Ch 18
Oven dynamics — Ch 24
Overrun (ice cream) — Ch 28

P

Pasta water — Ch 9, Ch 23
Pasteurization — Ch 27, Ch 35, Ch 36
Pat Hammond (running character) — _continuity.md; key appearances Ch 18 (red cabbage), Ch 24 (convection cookies)
PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) — Ch 26
Pectin — Ch 9, Ch 18, Ch 36 (jam)
Pellicle (in smoking) — Ch 26, Ch 36
Pepper (black) — Ch 22
pH — Ch 5
pH 4.6 (food safety threshold) — Ch 30, Ch 33, Ch 35, Ch 36
Phytic acid — Ch 19
Pickles — Ch 33, App. F (mastery track #4)
Plant pigments — Ch 18
Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) — Ch 13, Ch 18
Pressure cooker — Ch 29
Probiotics — Ch 30, Ch 32, Ch 37
Processed food — Ch 37 (NOVA classification)
Proteins — Ch 7
Pyrolysis (charcoal/wood) — Ch 26

R

Radiation (heat transfer) — Ch 4
Recipe design — Ch 39
Reducing sugar — Ch 8, Ch 10
Rennet — Ch 13, Ch 32, Ch 38 (precision-fermented)
Retrogradation (starch staling) — Ch 9, Ch 17
Retronasal olfaction — Ch 6
Roasting — Ch 24

S

Saccharomyces cerevisiae — Ch 30, Ch 31 (bread/beer)
Salt — Ch 3 (NEW chapter)
Saponins — Ch 12 (aquafaba), Ch 19 (legumes)
Saturated fat — Ch 11, Ch 37
Searing — Ch 8, Ch 15 (debunking "seals in juices" myth)
Sensory perception — Ch 6
Smoke point — Ch 11, Ch 25
Smoke ring (BBQ) — Ch 15, Ch 26
Smoking (preservation/flavor) — Ch 26, Ch 36
Sodium — Ch 3, Ch 37 (nutrition)
Soufflé — Ch 12, Ch 14
Sourdough — Ch 5, Ch 17, Ch 31
Sous vide — Ch 27
Soy — Ch 19, Ch 33, Ch 38, App. D
Spices — Ch 22
Spore (bacterial) — Ch 35, Ch 36
Starch — Ch 9, Ch 17
Steak — Ch 15, Ch 27 (sous vide)
Steaming — Ch 23
Stocks — Ch 23, App. G (cultural traditions)
Strecker degradation — Ch 8
Sugars — Ch 10
Surfactants — Ch 11, Ch 12

T

Taste — Ch 6
Tea — Ch 21, Ch 34 (fermentation)
Tempering (chocolate) — Ch 20
Texas brisket — Ch 26 (case study 2)
Texture — Ch 9, Ch 18
Theme #1: Cooking IS science — _continuity.md; throughout
Theme #2: Understanding WHY gives power — _continuity.md; Ch 17, 39, 40
Theme #3: Same reactions everywhere — _continuity.md; Ch 8 (Maillard), Ch 11 (emulsions), Ch 30 (fermentation)
Theme #4: Food traditions are accumulated science — _continuity.md; Ch 30 (gateway), Ch 33, Ch 34, App. G
Theme #5: Science enhances pleasure — _continuity.md; Ch 40
Tofu — Ch 19
Tomato — Ch 5, Ch 18 (case study 2)
Triglyceride — Ch 11

U

Umami — Ch 6, Ch 22, Ch 30, Ch 32 (cheese), Ch 33 (fermented sauces)
Unsaturated fat — Ch 11
USDA food safety — Ch 35, Ch 36

V

Vegetables — Ch 18
Vinegar — Ch 5, Ch 30 (acetic acid fermentation)
Volatile compounds — Ch 6, Ch 22 (spices)

W

Water — Ch 2; in baker's % Ch 17; in coffee Ch 2, Ch 21; in fermentation Ch 30
Water activity (a_w) — Ch 3, Ch 30, Ch 36
Whey — Ch 16, Ch 32
Whipped cream — Ch 12, Ch 16
Wok hei — Ch 22, Ch 26, App. G (China)

Y

Yeast — Ch 30, Ch 17 (bread), Ch 31 (bread/beer)
Yogurt — Ch 16, Ch 32

🔗 See also: SUMMARY.md for the full chapter directory; _continuity.md for character voices and thematic principles; Appendix B (Glossary) for technical-term definitions; Appendix G (Cultural Food Traditions) for tradition attributions; Appendix H (Further Reading) for resources by topic.