In the 1700s and 1800s, scientists in Europe and the United States were using new laboratory practices to understand food. The goal was to understand how to efficiently feed large numbers of armed forces and growing populations of people living in cities and working in new factories. The title page of this 1821 British book captures the scientific spirit of the time. Using the highlight tool, choose a color (by clicking on the white square) and underline the words on this page that seem like they come out of the laboratory. Using a different color, underline the words that sound like they belong in the kitchen. Why do you associate some words with science, and others with cooking? How do you define "science"? How do you define "cooking"? Does your thinking about these categories change when you relate them to one another? 

Title page of "Culinary Chemistry: Exhibiting the Scientific Principles of Cookery, With Concise Instructions for Preparing Good and Wholesome Pickles, Vinegar, Conserves, Fruit Jellies, Marmalades, and Various Other Alimentary Substances Employed in Domestic Economy, With Observations on the Chemical Constitution and Nutritive Qualities of Different Kinds of Food."

Standards for A New Scientific Approach to Food

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework