A new article by Asst. Prof. Dr. Murat Doğan, Deputy Dean of Istanbul Gelişim University (IGU), Faculty of Fine Arts (FAF) and lecturer of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, has been published in the Journal of Food Taste.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Murat Doğan's new article titled "The Source of Life and the Indispensable Water of the Kitchen" appeared in the October issue of the Food Taste magazine. In his article, Doğan emphasized the importance of water in our lives by mentioning the importance of water, its physical properties, the use of water in the kitchen and its functions in the preparation of meals, the characteristics of good drinking water, and the chemical properties of water.
The article written by Asst. Prof. Dr. Murat Doğan is quoted as follows:
Although water, which consists of one hydrogen and two oxygen molecules, seems very simple in one way, it has taken its place as one of the most basic substances of our world with its mysterious properties. This colorless, tasteless, odorless liquid, which is indispensable for the continuation of life and the most important source of life for living things, shows unexpected physical and chemical properties that are different from other substances. These mysterious properties of water ensure the continuation of the life of all living things. In addition, it is important to know its function in the preparation of meals.
“The properties that make water mysterious and unique are still not fully understood.”
However, the properties that make water mysterious and unique are still not fully understood. For example, the solid state of all other substances is denser than the liquid state. However, we cannot say this for water. But why? If water did not have this physical property different from other substances, ocean, sea and lake waters would start to freeze from the bottom. As a result, life under water would not continue.
Another feature of it was only fully understood in 1963. Tanzanian student Erasto experimented with ice cream in his school's kitchen, and it was found that hot water, which is another strange feature of water, freezes before cold water. Erasto puts his friend's cold milk mixture in the refrigerator with the hot milk mixture he prepared for making ice cream, and observes that the hot milk mixture freezes faster than the cold milk mixture. Erasto's culinary observation is announced to the whole scientific world with his name.
“Thousands of chemical reactions take place in cells in which water plays a role for the continuation of human life.”
For the continuation of the life of every living element, water is an essential substance or, in other words, a chemical. A person cannot live very long without water and it is the main component of two-thirds of his body, namely all his organs, tissues and body fluids. Human bones, teeth and hair contain very little water. Water is necessary for the digestion of food, its transport to the tissues and for the removal of harmful wastes formed as a result of their use in the cells. Water is excreted from the body through respiration, perspiration, urine and feces. It is necessary to replace the lost water and to maintain the water balance. For this balance, besides direct water intake, foods and beverages and the water released during the burning of food by the body are also used. Thousands of chemical reactions take place in the cells in which water plays a role for the continuation of human life.
Generally, the main component of all foods is water. It plays an important role in the preparation of dishes and in determining the flavor. We call the water we use in our kitchens as drinking water. This water is used for washing food, preparing meals, cleaning, washing dishes and in kitchens for drinking purposes. For example, there is a strong relationship between the shelf life of foods and the water contained in foods. Let's consider the amount of water in flour, milk, meat, vegetables and fruits and the shelf life of these products. All of them have different shelf life.
The most important physical properties of the water we use in the kitchens are pH, turbidity, color, odor and flavor. If there is a large amount of alkaline salts such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and calcium bicarbonate in drinking water, if there is too much carbon dioxide, it shows acidic properties. Drinking water should be neutral or slightly alkaline in terms of pH. Drinking water should be within the pH range of 7.0–9.0. Excessive alkalinity of water is a sign of putrefaction. Regardless of its source, it should be used in the kitchen, even if the turbid water goes through the purification process.
Good drinking water is odorless. There may be some reasons why the water contains odor. Some of these are the leakage of wastewater into the water mains, metals entering the mains water as a result of the corrosion of the water pipes, and chlorine or iodine used in water disinfection. The water should be natural and pleasant in taste. The flavor of water may vary depending on dissolved gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide and other chemicals it contains. Drinking water should not be salty, sour or metallic in taste. When it is drunk, it should not cause bloating in the stomach.
“It is a means of carrying aroma in sauces.”
Water is used in the kitchen for many processes such as boiling, boiling and steaming, as well as for washing dishes. We always use water while cooking. It helps many meals to be sensorially acceptable. It ensures that the heat is transferred to the meat evenly while the meat is boiled in the pot, and that the egg is cooked evenly while it is boiled in water. Water also helps speed up the cooking process under pressure. In the pressure cooker, the water heats up and turns into steam, and since the steam does not come out of the pot, the trapped water molecules create a high-pressure environment, allowing it to cook faster. It helps to bring out the flavor in the food. Whether we're making food, sauce, coffee, tea, or soup, none of this is possible without water. It is a flavor carrier in sauces. Sometimes when we don't want to add broth to a dish, we can use water that doesn't change the taste. When our sauce or soup is too thick, water helps thin it. If the soup is too watery, the excess water can be evaporated quickly by cooking without a lid. This evaporation process also leads to what we call the reduction process in cooking. As a result, water is so importan for our life and kitchen.
Stay well.
