The science of food

A lifelong interest in science and a passion for food has led Carlton resident Emma Donnelly to start her own culinary science business.

Born in Western Australia to two science teachers, Emma said following her parents’ path wasn’t so much a choice, as it was expected.
“I was the first born so it was a case of ‘you will go to university and you will do science’,” Emma said.

Following university, Emma went on to work in scientific communication, helping scientific organisations such as the CSIRO communicate their ideas and discoveries to the public in plain speaking English. 

It was Emma’s experience at university which also awoke an interest in food.
“My parents lived in the country, so I had to move down to Perth for uni. For a few years there it was just about eating to survive,” Emma said.
“After a while I started getting into food and I thought ‘maybe I could do this’, then I started teaching myself to do all these things”. 

From there, a passion for the intersection of science and food was born.

“I’m trying to look at recipes and say, ‘his is the best way to make that recipe’, and get rid of all the old wives tales. Get rid of all those inconsistencies and make recipes that are easier to understand. Or alternatively, explore recipes that have some science attached to them,” Emma said.
“I thought maybe there’s a way I can sneak some science in there for people who don’t like science. Or for people that don’t like cooking, I can show them a way that is foolproof.”

Emma has a particular interest in the field of neurogastronomy, where psychology and food intersect to examine flavour perception.

“Certain things that you do can make people experience food differently. For example, research shows that if you serve the same exact dessert on a white plate and a black plate, most people believe that the white plate is sweeter,” Emma said.

“There’s all these little tips and tricks businesses can be doing to make people think they’re getting better quality food.”

Emma’s culinary science business was kickstarted when she was a contestant on the popular reality TV series My Kitchen Rules in 2012

“It was a good opportunity for me to launch my business, but it was an interesting ride. Reality TV is a beast to say that least,” Emma said.

Since then, Emma has self-published a cookbook Eat, Drink, Think - recipes for the evidence-based cook.
“It’s about breaking down barrier for people. Providing them with education but also memorable experiences,” Emma said.
A fan of the Carlton culinary scene, Emma credits the Brandon Hotel in Carlton North with helping to get her through the lockdown.
“They do really good food and do home delivery. I was very thankful during a rough time,” Emma said.
You can learn more about Emma’s business at culinaryscience.com.au •