Seared by Inverse

What makes food taste great isn't just the ingredients — it's what you do with them. This series explores not only the chemical transformations that happen when you cook on the grill, with beer, in the kitchen, or over the campfire, but also where the future of food is heading — all from a scientific point of view.

Feed Me
Sourdough science: NYC bakers share the how, and microbiologists reveal the why
Nina Pullano
NYC bakers show you the how and a microbiologist reveals the why.
Seared
Cooking with science: How to turn the volume way up on a classic ceviche
Madeline Muzzi
A culinary scientist talks about the power of cooking with acid in the kitchen.
Seared
Sponsored
The science of grilling with smoke: Learn from my mistakes
Madeline Muzzi
A renowned molecular gastronomy chef shows you how. 🔥
Seared
Sponsored
2 beers and a little science can make a slammable chicken
Madeline Muzzi
Beer can enhance food in two ways: The alcohol's chemical abilities and the flavor — pilsner, in my case — can elevate your dish.

Now that's a slammable chicken!

A patriotic salute

Science
How to BBQ Using Science
Eleanor Cummins
Step away from the lighter fluid.
Science
How to Cook the Perfect Burger Using Science
Yasmin Tayag
When it comes to burgers, umami is everything.
Science
A Salute to the Chemical That Keeps America's Hot Dogs Patriotically Pink
Yasmin Tayag
Sodium nitrite works hard to maintain tradition.
Science
How to Grill a Perfect Steak, Using Science as Your Cookbook
Inverse Staff
Thawing sucks.

Food of the future

Innovation
Why New York's Elmhurst Dairy Farms Says Future of Milk is Plant-Based
Gabriela Barkho
No grain, nut, or seed is off-limits for "milk."
Mind and Body
Why the Plant-Based Impossible Whopper Has as Many Calories as Beef
Yasmin Tayag
"Impossible meat is meant to mimic beef as much as possible, but made entirely from plants."
Mind and Body
How Burger King's "Impossible Whopper" Tastes Like Flame-Broiled Beef
Yasmin Tayag
The burgers will be flame-broiled "in the exact way the burgers from cows are."
Science
Why Eating Bugs Won't Save Us, but Letting Them Chew Up Awful Food Systems Will
Yasmin Tayag
The key isn't noshing on insects. The key is eating a bit of everything.
Farm-to-space cooking
To prepare for life in space, astronauts are starting to grow their own food
Passant Rabie
And it tastes just as good!
Innovation
Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods Are Taking on These 3 Foods After Burgers
Mike Brown
It's not just burgers ripe for disruption.
Science
New gene-edited tomato could mean fresh produce in space
Nina Pullano
Thanks to some pioneering science, a new strain of tomatoes can grow in some unusual places.
Innovation
Lab-Grown Meat: Beyond Burgers, the 7 In-Vitro Foods Coming to Plates
Mike Brown
The future of food looks promising.

Food science

Innovation
Yesterday’s lunch could become tomorrow’s hydrogen fuel, scientists say
Thor Benson
One of America's biggest sources of trash could become clean energy
Mind and Body
Detox science: How to boost the body's natural detoxification system
Sarah Sloat
Skip a "detox diet" and follow study-backed advice.
Mind and Body
Is sparkling water bad for you? 2 things you probably didn't know
Nicola Innes and Suzanne Zaremba
Let's get into it.
Mind and Body
Sugar alters the brain similarly to one of most addictive drugs on Earth
Emma Betuel
A new study in pigs suggests our affinity for sugar may go beyond a simple craving. 
Mind and Body
5 actionable tips to drastically improve your gut health
Connie Rogers and Darrell Cockburn
Don't ignore those gut feelings.
Mind and Body
3 supplements that boost the brain more than others
Ali Pattillo
Research provides a roadmap through the wild, wild West of the supplement industry.
Science
This is the most efficient way to make coffee, according to math
Nina Pullano
This is coffee taken to a new level.
Office Evolution
The future of American workplaces rely on an unlikely factor
Stephen J. Bronner
There’s now an ecosystem around providing office workers with nutritious and interesting snacks, from the small companies creating the products to services curating them.
Mind and Body
Intermittent fasting: if you’re struggling to lose weight, this might be why
David Clayton
Intermittent fasting is a way of losing weight that favors flexibility over calorie counting.
Innovation
The 4 best budget air fryers
Cristina Sanza
We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.
Strategy
Scientists reveal 5 daily activities to boost brain health
Stephen J. Bronner
And the one activity you should avoid.
Office Evolution
How Google hacked food for happier employees
Stephen J. Bronner
You are what you eat, after all.
Waste not
Covid-19 & cooking: The factors you should know to reduce food waste
Nina Pullano
Treat your home like a restaurant: Make brunch!
The Abstract Podcast
Quarantine haircuts and counting carbs
Inverse Staff
Episode #4: Self-care and Covid-19
Culture
The historical roots of your lockdown sourdough baking
Muzna Rahman
Many home cooks have taken to baking sourdough as a show that they are OK in lockdown.
Sunday scaries
A scientist explains the link between cooking and positive mental health
Sarah Sloat
Why baking is better for your brain than microwaving a meal.
Science
How the climate impact of beef compares with plant-based alternatives
Alexandra Macmillan and Jono Drew
How does a highly processed patty compare to butchered beef?
Culture
How coronavirus set the stage for a future of robots and A.I.
Amanda Turnbull
Not so long ago, the concept of a fully automated store seemed something of a curiosity. Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of relying on computers and robotics, and checking out groceries by simply picking them off the shelf doesn’t seem so peculiar after all.
food mood
How to engineer a comfort food: Why certain flavors make us calm
Ali Pattillo
"You feel comforted and cocooned."
Science
Is seltzer water healthy?
Rahel Mathews
My health-conscious friends and colleagues tell me that they need an alternative to soda but plain water is too boring. They, like many people, are turning to sparkling water and flavored seltzer water.