Food For Thought

The Science of Chocolate, the second in SiE’s series of mouth-watering lectures about the Science of Food, was a sold out event this month. Greg D’Alesandre, Chief Sourcerer of Dandelion Chocolate, gave an entertaining talk about the science behind cacao growing and chocolate making. Participants held and smelled a cacao pod, and sampled five kinds of chocolate made from beans grown in  different countries. Those who were adventurous enough even tasted the edible membrane around the cacao beans!

The Science of Food speaker series was conceived as a way of increasing Science is Elementary’s visibility in the broader community while promoting science education for everyone. This series provides an opportunity for participants to hear from industry experts and appreciate the science that goes into crafting some of our favorite foods. 

In the first event in the series, “The Science of Umami”, Muffie Fulton, neuroscientist and founder of Bold Foods, led participants through the mechanisms involved in our sense of taste and how umami affects various taste receptors in the tongue to enhance our experience of other flavors. Up next, on March 25th, is The Science of Bread.

These interesting talks highlight all three of our pillars – Science is Awesome, Science is Everywhere and Science is for Everyone!