“The Science of Taste”

Episode One

HOW do we Taste?

Our FIRST video in a 10-part series developed by San Diego's NEW food-based educational nonprofit, The Academy of Edible Sciences & Ethno-gastronomy. In this first episode, we cover the basics behind HOW we taste including some anatomy & physiology and a fun taste testing experiment that local science teachers can re-create in their classrooms for a hands-on way to explain these concepts. Stay with us each week as we release new videos with digestible bits of food science, culminating in a live "battle" to please the senses between local chefs and food scientists, ONLY in north county San Diego!

YOU can help us by watching, liking, and sharing to spread the word for our new programming! 

Episode Two

The Kitchen Laboratory

For Episode 2 in our 10-part series, "The Science of Taste," we cover the steps in the experimental method and run a fun pizza taste testing experiment to demonstrate -WHY- the Kitchen laboratory is the BEST place to run science experiments!

Episode Two Experimental Question:

"Can NY-style Pizza not be mimicked outside of #NYC due to the unique mineral content of their water?"

Stay with us each week as we release new videos with digestible bits of food science, culminating in a live "battle" to please the senses between local chefs and food scientists, ONLY in north county San Diego!

YOU can help us by watching, liking, and sharing to spread the word for our new programming!

Episode Three

Heat vs. Temperature

In Episode 3 of our 10-part series, “The Science of Taste,” we take a closer look into the physics of “cooking.”

Chef Meg begins by explaining and demonstrating the crucial concepts of distinguishing the difference between heat vs. temperature and how methods of heat transfer play a role in culinary transformations.

Chef Alex participates in a unique experiment to test the question, “Does the mode of heat transfer influence the range of temperatures and time limit one human hand can be exposed to?”

Stay with us each week as we release new videos with digestible bits of food science, culminating in a live "battle" to please the senses between local chefs and food scientists, ONLY in north county San Diego!

YOU can help us by watching, liking, and sharing to spread the word for our new programming!

Episode Four

All About the Egg

In Episode 4 of our 10-part series, “The Science of Taste,” we cover All things EGG!

Chef Meg begins the episode covering the Anatomy of all parts of the egg and why this knowledge is essential in testing, "How to Cook the perfect, no-fuss, peel-able hard egg."

Watch through our full episode for additional demo's on testing the pH of the egg yolk vs. white of a fresh vs. aged egg. 

But that's not all! Join Chef Meg at a beach picnic in Pacific Beach, San Diego and learn how to make a delectable French picnic sandwich- the Pan Bagnat- made of tuna, nicoise olives, onions, arugula, a mustard vinaigrette, -AND- perfect hard boiled eggs. 

So "Let's Get Cookin'!"

Stay with us each week as we release new videos with digestible bits of food science, culminating in -Live- Summer Tasting Event event with local chefs and food scientists, ONLY in north county San Diego!

Episode Five

How to Cook the Perfect French Fry!

In Episode 5 of our 10-part series, “The Science of Taste,” we test how to make the perfect, crispy on the outside, pillowy on the inside, golden perfect french fry.

Chef Meg begins the episode with covering some basic organic chemistry on potatoes with the anatomy of a potato: glucose and starch molecules, the chemistry of frying and saturated vs. unsaturated fats, what a dehydration synthesis reaction entails and KEY takeaways on AESE’s methodology behind making the perfect french fries: hint! It includes using a sous vide and double-fry method!!!

Stay with us each week as we release new videos with digestible bits of food science, with local chefs and food scientists ONLY in north county San Diego!

Episode Six

Know Your Fish!

In Episode 6 of our 10-part series, “The Science of Taste,” we look at all things FISH! With some basic fish anatomy, a closer look at wild-caught vs. farm-raised salmon, butchering a whole fish tutorial, and how-to cook a simple dish of pan-seared Branzino with wilted swiss chard.

With Special Guest- Chef Jason Baker of Flavor Affinity and additional footage from the Farm to Table seasonal dinner events held at Sand N' Straw Community Farm in Vista, California, one of our new educational partners where we will be offering a new summer "Culinary Explorer's" week-long intensive for teens of food meets science!

Stay with us each week as we release new videos with digestible bits of food science with local chefs and food scientists ONLY in north county San Diego!

Music By: Moxi & Loon

Additional Footage Shot By: Brett Taylor

Episode Seven

Bivalves & Crustaceans

In Episode 7 of our 10-part series, “The Science of Taste,” we look at PART II: Seafood- Bivalves & Crustaceans! Chef Meg discusses these critters scientific classification, some basic anatomy and characteristics and how-to make an emulsion tutorial for a delectable and easy summer dish of Lobster tail on a watercress salad with a cherry hollandaise! Stay with us for next week's episode on All Things Meat & maillard reactions, as we release our final few videos with digestible bits of food science with our local chefs and food scientists ONLY in north county San Diego!

Episode Eight

Meat & Maillard Reactions

In Episode 8 of our 10-part series, “The Science of Taste,” Chef Meg discusses some basic Anatomy & Physiology of Beef, grass-fed vs. grain-fed cattle, and some basic chemistry with the “browning effect” of Maillard reactions. We taste test two cuts of beef- Strip and Ribeye- over an open-fire and create a simple and delicious dish of Beef Tataki with pickled mushrooms over dandelion greens for an early summer evening supper outdoors!

Stay with us for next week's episode on Cheese!, as we release our final few videos of digestible bits of food science with our local chefs and food scientists ONLY in north county San Diego!

Episode Nine

In Focus: Cheese!

In Episode 9 of our 10-part series, “The Science of Taste,” Executive Director, Chef Meg, discusses the process of cheesemaking, some organic chemistry concerning organic aromatic compounds, how Roquefort Blue cheese and gooey French Camembert cheese are made, and shows us how to make fresh ricotta cheese at home with three simple ingredients!Make sure to watch through to our How-To Make This Week’s Dish: Fresh ricotta with Nori crackers, brûlée grapefruit, and basil chiffonnade~

Stay with us for next week's FINAL episode on ‘How to Create Flavor Pairings’, with a special local guest and food engineer from Kashi ONLY with AESE and ONLY in north county San Diego!

Episode Ten

Flavor Pairings!

In the final episode of our series, “The Science of Taste,” we’ve chosen to tie together previous episodes, by discussing the Science behind pairing tastes and flavors!

Join Us with a special guest, local food scientist Matt Stinson, as we talk about the importance of discovering organic aromatic compounds within foods to create new, exciting flavor pairings, products, and dishes.

Chef Meg will take us through the building of our last unique dish, starting with an initial ingredient- Olives- and then building a dish from there using science to guide us~