Fiducia TogetherCooking methods and food science
What heat does to food, and why a recipe works.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
Cooking methods include boiling, steaming, poaching, baking, roasting, grilling, frying and braising. The science includes gelatinisation, coagulation, denaturation, aeration, emulsification, caramelisation and the Maillard reaction.
Where it applies
GCSE food preparation and nutrition, and hospitality and catering.
How it works
Each process explains a technique: gelatinisation is why sauces thicken; coagulation is why eggs set; aeration is why whisked whites hold air; the Maillard reaction is why browned food tastes different from boiled.
Method affects nutrient retention — water-soluble vitamins leach into boiling water, which steaming avoids.
How to use it in your work
Use the scientific term and then explain it. "The starch granules absorb liquid and swell — gelatinisation — which thickens the sauce."
In your NEA, justify each choice by function and by the needs of the brief, not by preference.
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's specification — these qualifications vary more between boards than the traditional GCSEs do, and much of the grade is coursework marked against stated criteria.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The Food Tech Song The food preparation and nutrition topics, set to music.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.