Kitchen chemistry and culinary terms

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1. 1. The Maillard reactions responsible for much savoury browning involve sugars reacting with what?
   • A. Mineral salts
   • B. Water molecules alone
   • C. Amino acids (answer)
   • D. Vitamins
   Maillard browning involves reactions between reducing sugars and amino compounds.
2. 2. What is the main culinary benefit of searing a steak?
   • A. Developing a flavourful browned crust (answer)
   • B. Stopping all moisture loss
   • C. Preventing proteins from changing
   • D. Creating a waterproof seal
   Searing develops flavour through browning; it does not seal meat against moisture loss.
3. 3. Which substance in egg yolk helps stabilise emulsions such as hollandaise?
   • A. Lecithin (answer)
   • B. Pectin
   • C. Lactose
   • D. Gluten
   Lecithin has water-attracting and fat-attracting regions that help keep droplets dispersed.
4. 4. In culinary science, an emulsion consists of what?
   • A. Gas dissolved completely in a solid
   • B. Droplets of one liquid dispersed in another normally non-mixing liquid (answer)
   • C. Sugar crystals suspended in air
   • D. Two solids fused by heat
   An emulsion disperses one immiscible liquid as small droplets within another.
5. 5. What happens to many egg-white proteins when they are heated?
   • A. They become simple sugars
   • B. They turn into starch
   • C. They unfold and form an interconnected network (answer)
   • D. They evaporate with the water
   Heat unfolds proteins, allowing them to bond into a network that sets the egg white.
6. 6. Why can excessive cooking make an egg white rubbery?
   • A. Its water turns into protein
   • B. Its proteins convert to fat
   • C. Too many protein bonds form (answer)
   • D. Its minerals crystallise into a shell
   Prolonged high heat promotes excessive bonding within the protein network.
7. 7. Agar-agar, used as a vegetarian setting agent, comes from which source?
   • A. Maize kernels
   • B. Red algae (answer)
   • C. Animal bones
   • D. Citrus peel
   Agar-agar is obtained from certain red algae and can replace gelatine in many preparations.
8. 8. To cut a vegetable 'julienne' means to cut it into which shape?
   • A. Small cubes
   • B. Large wedges
   • C. Fine matchsticks (answer)
   • D. Thin round slices
   Julienne describes narrow, matchstick-shaped strips.
9. 9. What does a bain-marie use to provide gentle, even heat?
   • A. A surrounding bath of water (answer)
   • B. A bed of hot salt
   • C. A stream of chilled air
   • D. Direct contact with a flame
   The food's container sits in warm water, reducing harsh direct heating.
10. 10. What are you doing when you deglaze a frying pan?
    • A. Adding liquid to release browned cooking residues (answer)
    • B. Polishing it with dry salt
    • C. Coating it with icing
    • D. Removing all its surface oil before heating
    Deglazing loosens flavourful browned deposits with liquid so they can become part of a sauce.
11. 11. Which sequence best describes blanching and refreshing green vegetables?
    • A. Freeze, then fry from frozen
    • B. Steam until dry, then salt
    • C. Roast slowly, then cover with oil
    • D. Boil briefly, then cool rapidly in cold water (answer)
    Blanching briefly cooks the vegetables; refreshing in cold water stops further cooking.
12. 12. Why does whisking egg whites help create a foam?
    • A. Proteins unfold and help stabilise incorporated air bubbles (answer)
    • B. The water turns into solid sugar
    • C. The proteins disappear into the air
    • D. The whisk produces carbon dioxide chemically
    Whisking incorporates air and unfolds proteins, which help stabilise the bubbles.