Champagne is tasty, but as scientific as a bomb and nearly as dangerous!..in some situations

Watch these two videos. The first one is very interesting, but the second is more my speed.

To Flow, OR Not To Flow....

Although water is the most well know fluid, there are literally hundreds of fluids, many of which you wouldn't think of right away. Fluids can take the form of things such as liquids, gases, plasma, and even solids.

Get ready for the physics!

Some fluids, such as water, will flow at a steady rate regardless of the amount of force exerted upon it. Water is know as a Newtonian fluid. Simply put - Whether you stir water at a fast pace or a slow pace, it still retains its same form or viscosity. The same applies to vegetable oil, although it has a higher viscosity which makes it appear thicker than water.

Other fluids, such as yogurt, gravy, and ketchup, are classified as Non-Newtonian fluids. This is because the viscosity changes when the force upon it is changed. Ketchup, for example, is always so hard to get out of the bottle without a fight. It's because of the way it reacts to force. Ketchup, in "Geek Speak" is Thixotropic. Simply put - when you tip the bottle, generally nothing happens. When you apply a "beat down" (or tap the bottle) it becomes less viscous and exits with ease. 

So the next time you crash Drake Diner in the wee hours instead of studying for finals, and somebody tells you to hit the bottle to get the ketchup to come out….believe them. They know what they are talking about!

How complicated is caramel?....

Caramel gains special odors and flavors due to a process called Non-enzymatic browning. There are two kinds of Non-enzymatic browning reactions that take place because of sugars. One is called caramelization and the other is The Maillard Reaction. Caramelization is the reaction of sugars with other sugars, but the maillard reaction is the reaction of sugars with amino acids.

The most basic caramelization in the kitchen is the melting of sugar into a syrup. It is easiest to caramelize sugar if you use water. Water is a “helping agent” in a few ways but most importantly, it helps with the chemical reactions that take place during the melting of the sugar.

Here’s how this works!...white table sugar is made up of sucrose and gets broken down into fructose and glucose when heat is added to it. The caramelization involved in this whole process does not begin to take place until it is heated to a temperature of 170 degrees C. or about 330 degrees F.

Fructose and glucose are “reducing” sugars. It breaks down like this in total Geek-Speak…..get ready!

Since fructose and glucose are “reducing” sugars, they give some of their electrons to other molecules. They will break apart into smaller components due to heating, and when they do this, they have a tendency to donate electrons which leads to the creation of totally new compounds. This is where the flavor and the odor comes into play…Hold on tight! I know this is getting geeky, but it is WAY cool!

Diacetyl gives off a buttery flavor whereas Furan is nutty. Another example would be Acetaldehyde which lends  a rum flavor.

Caramelization, in addition to requiring heat to begin the process, also produces heat as it develops. The chemical reactions in the process are Thermogenic in nature. So if you have ever tried to make your own syrup or candies and it has become dark, bitter and burnt flavored, now you know why.

Now. If you have ever caramelized an onion or seared a steak, then you have already seen the Maillard Reaction take place. For example, when caramelizing an onion, the sugars of the onion in addition to the Amino acids that it contains will start a binding process that is a bit more complicated than caramelization itself! Which is why our Geek lesson is over!

So the next time you bite down on a caramel or have some on your ice cream, stop for a second and think of this process. I guarantee that knowing this will enhance the flavor....at least it does for me.