If a rose by any other name can smell as sweet (says Shakespeare) then can porridge, cooked by any other method than in a saucepan on the stove, taste different or ever better?
Yes ...
Hervé This*, a chemical physicist, based at the National Institute for Agricultural Research in Paris studies these things. The subject area is 'molecular gastronomy'; he talks about his work and the impact it has on chefs, restaurants and eating.
In the Financial Times article here the interviewer, Brigid Grauman, asks:
"Why does microwaved porridge taste so much better? The answer is that porridge is made up of granules of starch that either bloat homogeneously (in the microwave) or keep a tough core (on the stove). 'I am ready to take a microscope – no, I encourage you to take a microscope – and examine your grain of porridge.' "
In the Financial Times article here the interviewer, Brigid Grauman, asks:
"Why does microwaved porridge taste so much better? The answer is that porridge is made up of granules of starch that either bloat homogeneously (in the microwave) or keep a tough core (on the stove). 'I am ready to take a microscope – no, I encourage you to take a microscope – and examine your grain of porridge.' "
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* His very fine website (in French) is here.
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