Discover the science behind everyday food, cooking techniques, ingredients, texture, taste, colour and food reactions explained simply by Chef RBS.
You pick up two packets at the supermarket. One has five ingredients. The other has fifteen. The first looks like the obvious winner, right? Not so fast. A shorter ingredient list can be a useful clue, but it does not automatically mean a food is healthier. A product with five ingredients can still contain a…
Cinnamon is one of those spices that can make a kitchen smell like freshly baked cookies, warm apple pie, or a pot of spiced tea. But here is something many home cooks do not realize: the cinnamon in your spice cabinet may not be the same type of cinnamon used in another kitchen. Ceylon cinnamon…
Two mayonnaise bottles. Similar colour. Similar purpose. But one can taste richer, tangier, and more savoury than the other. That is why Kewpie mayo vs regular mayo has become an interesting comparison for curious home cooks, food lovers, and anyone who enjoys discovering why ingredients behave differently. Kewpie mayonnaise is known for its rich egg-yolk…
Tahitian vanilla flavour is known for its distinctive floral aroma, fruity notes, and delicate sweetness. For chefs, understanding this unique vanilla variety helps create more interesting desserts, creams, custards, and baked goods. Vanilla usually makes us think of ice cream, cookies, cakes, and that familiar sweet aroma coming from the oven. But not every vanilla…
Beans are having a moment. From supermarket trend predictions to the growing interest in fiber-rich foods and plant-based protein, this everyday pantry staple is getting fresh attention as we move toward 2027. But beans are more than an affordable source of protein. They bring fiber, texture, flavor, and versatility to the kitchen. With the right…
Mycoprotein is a protein-rich food ingredient made by growing selected fungi through controlled fermentation. Unlike plant-based proteins from soy or peas, mycoprotein develops from fungal biomass, which can be processed into foods with a distinctive fibrous texture. This makes it useful for products designed to resemble meat. For chefs, food manufacturers, and curious consumers, understanding…
Extreme heat and food ingredients are becoming an important concern for food manufacturers as rising temperatures affect agricultural production and raw-material quality. When temperatures rise during critical growing periods, crops may produce lower yields or become less consistent in quality. For food manufacturers, that can mean changes in ingredient availability, purchasing costs, flavor, texture, and…
Why plant-based meat changes color is a question worth exploring, especially when a plant-based burger turns from pink or reddish to brown on the grill. Its color can also change during refrigerated storage. As a chef, I look at color as more than presentation. It can reveal how ingredients respond to heat, how pigments behave,…
Imagine developing a new snack without spending weeks testing dozens of ingredient combinations. What if a computer could help you identify which ingredients might work together, predict how a product could taste or feel, and suggest ways to improve its nutrition or reduce its cost? This is becoming a serious area of food science. Artificial…
Walk through a supermarket in the United States and you will find products carrying claims such as “no artificial colors,” “made with natural colors,” and “no synthetic dyes.” These phrases can influence what people put in their shopping carts, but do they all mean the same thing? As a chef, I know that color plays…
