Tasty chemistry

‘So – I have to ask – what is your favourite food?’ I’m sitting in the office of Peter Barham, a physics professor at the University of Bristol, UK. I’m not usually so interested in the food preferences of scientists, but Barham is no ordinary scientist. He has a passion for molecular gastronomy – applying science to food and cooking. In fact, Barham is a professor of this subject at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. He also mentored the chef Heston Blumenthal, who came to him for advice when he was just starting out as a cook. And (with a little help from some liquid nitrogen) he has his name in the record books as the world’s fastest ice cream maker.