Five Minutes With Harold McGee
Harold McGee’s 1984 book On Food And Cooking: The Science And Lore Of The Kitchen has become a foodie Bible with its detailed and scientific approach to all things food. With the book now in its second edition (2004), McGee continues to explore the world of food while researching a new book on flavour.
You've been writing about food science and food issues since the early 80s, an era before the foodie revolution. Would you consider yourself a trailblazer?
I did help convince people that science could benefit cooks in various ways, but I was lucky to start writing at the beginning of a more general awakening of interest in foods at all levels.
What's your favourite Chinese food?
Right now, before I've been to China, my favourite is Beijing duck, for its variety of textures – the contrast of crisp skin and silky flesh – and rich, deep flavour.
Do you think your vast knowledge of the science behind food has encouraged your appreciation of it?
Yes, the more I know about the raw ingredients and the techniques that transform them, the more amazed I am at the ingenuity that has gone into our most basic and delicious foods.
What's the strangest flavour you've encountered in your research?
The Swedish cured and canned herring called surstromming. I'm told it is somewhat similar to Chinese stinky tofu, which I'm looking forward to experiencing!
What's your opinion of GMOs? Do you think they are safe to eat?
I think that GMOs are a logical extension of our millennia-long manipulation of food plants and animals. Most of the corn and soybeans grown and eaten in the US are GM, and there have been no health problems due to those modifications. But there's no guarantee that all modifications will be safe, so they should certainly be carefully regulated.
Speaking of China’s most infamous dish, why is stinky tofu so, well, stinky?
Because it's been fermented, which means that microbes have broken down its flavourless proteins into small, highly flavourful fragments. Because those fragments can also be a sign of spoilage, our first (and maybe last!) impression of them is that they're stinky rather than delicious.
What's one flavour you couldn't do without?
The flavour of fried or sautéed onions, sweet and savoury and aromatic.
What's the most interesting thing you've learned about flavour recently?
That we may have taste receptors on the tongue that respond to fats and oils.
What do you think is the most exciting development in food science going on right now?
Our growing understanding of how production methods (plant and animal agriculture) affect food quality.
What do you think is the most versatile kitchen utensil?
The human hand.
Most versatile food?
The egg.
Is there indeed any accounting for taste?
We're beginning to understand how people develop taste preferences, but I think there will always be an arbitrary element to it – some people just don't like certain tastes that others love.
Harold McGee will be giving a talk entitled ‘Chemistry in the Kitchen’ at 5pm, Saturday 3 March at the Shanghai International Literary Festival.
Web: www.curiouscook.com
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For your chance to win a pair of tickets to Harold McGee’s ‘Chemistry in the Kitchen’ talk, email [email protected] with your favourite food preparation technique.
