Cooking

Name:
Cooking
Detailed information:
(1) Conversion of a foodstuff from the raw state to a palatable and more readily digestible condition by application of heat, as in boiling, frying, roasting, or baking. One or more chemical and physical changes occur: (a) hydrolysis of collagen in the connective tissue of meats; (b) softening and partial hydrolysis of cellulose and starches to sugars in fruits and vegetables; (c) denaturation and coagulation of proteins in meat, resulting in a less tightly ordered structure and improved texture; (d) coagulation of egg albumin and wheat gluten (bakery products); (e) modification or “shortening” of wheat flour by added fats that coat the particles to form a laminar structure, thus preventing formation of chains of gluten; (f) evolution of carbon dioxide by the action of leavening agents (yeast, baking powder), which cause rising of gas bubbles that are retained by the gluten to form a stable, solid foam; (g) browning of meats and bakery products due to reaction of sugars and amino acids (nonenzymatic); (h) deactivation of enzymes and destruction of bacteria; (i) loss or deactivation of water-soluble vitamins in meat and vegetables.(2) In the paper industry, digestion of wood pulp with such compounds as sodium sulfate, sodium hydroxide, and sodium sulfide to separate the lignin content from the cellulose. See Pulp, Paper.