Phy Sci 7 Course
What makes lettuce crispy? Why do different cuts of meat have different textures? This General Education course is designed for non-science students to learn life sciences and physical sciences concepts in the context of food texture and flavor.
The course will be offered again next Spring 2025 for UCLA students who are interested in fulfilling their science requirements, fascinated to discover the hows and whys behind plant and animal texture and flavor, and/or simply curious to know more about the food you eat and cook. The class will be led by instructor Val K. Sinsawasdi.
You might also be interested in visiting the Rowat lab website: we are a dynamic, highly interdisciplinary research team that aims to understand the texture of biological materials and their role in physiology and disease.
Spring 2019 Topics & Guest Lecturers Schedule
Week 1: Basic Units of Food: Length and Energy Scales – Nutrition Q&A with Dana Hunnes (UCLA)
Week 2: Phase Behavior – Achieving the creamiest ice cream using liquid nitrogen by Jeff Suen (Creamistry)
Week 3: Diffusion, Scavenger Hunt in the Botanical Gardens
Week 4: Self-Assembling Structures – The Science of Dumplings by Chef Vinh Nguyen (Stay Lucky)
Week 5: Baking 101, Rachel Lam (UCLA Dining)
Week 6: Binding Affinity & The Physiology of Taste – Chocolate tasting by Clemence Gossett (The Gourmandaise School)
Week 7: Elasticity – On the texture of bread by Avery Ruzicka (Manresa Breads)
Week 8: Viscosity – Tuning the texture of sauces by Chef Nyesha Arrington
Week 9: Exponentials & Microbes – Fermentation in food & cooking by Ella Freyinger (Chef Ella Freyinger, Inc)
Week 10: Bake Off Presentations
Spring 2019 Guest Lecturers
