Ali Bouzari is here to talk about food and the way we think about it, and he’s incredibly qualified to do so. As a chef and culinary scientist (literally, he has a PhD in Food Biochemistry), Ali knows exactly how food works and why. Companies and culinary programs all over the world consult with him to find the best ways to make new and innovative foods.
Ali Bouzari on the Science of Food
I met Ali Bouzari at a conference, and I’ll admit at first I didn’t fully appreciate what he meant by “food science.”
Ali sees any recipe from two sides. On the one hand he’s a chef who appreciates crispy bacon, creamy dressing, or a perfectly seared steak. On the other hand he’s a scientist who sees all food as a sum of 8 Ingredients: Water, Sugars, Carbs, Lipids, Proteins, Minerals, Gases, and Heat.
Understand each of these players, he says, and you will know how to create with food like never before.
His presentation on the 8 Ingredients fascinated me that day, and I’ve started to use what he taught me in the way I approach cooking at home. Thankfully he wrote an amazing book about it in a way that’s accessible to the home cook. It’s called Ingredient: Unveiling the Essential Elements of Food and it’s like a comic book meets cookbook … even my kids love it and get a lot out of it!
So, let’s see what’s cooking!
In This Episode You’ll Learn

how to see everyday foods through a scientific lens and make them work for you in the kitchen
why Ivy League schools and the Culinary Institute of America turn to Ali Bouzari for the latest food ideas
the science of what makes ingredients burn, emulsify, whip, crunch, wilt, and more
how you can learn to control your ingredients like a chef
the psychology of how we evaluate and appreciate the food we eat
alternative, natural ways to preserve or alter mass-market food … and whether Ali thinks these methods are better
when mass-market food production became a reality, and why (it’s fascinating!)
some of the clients Ali has helped over the years, and the stories behind the products they created
a different take on nitrates, carrageenan, phosphates, and other infamous food additives
the encouraging percentage of Ali’s clients who want to bring real food ingredients to the mass market
new frontiers in food: how culinary scientists discover new ingredients (little “i”) and new ways to use them
why Ali thinks sugar doesn’t totally deserve the bad rap it gets (I’m interested to hear this one!)
and more!

Resources We Mention
AliBouzari.com