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How is liquid nitrogen used in molecular cooking?

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Plate of sushi rolls with salmon, vegetables, and rice wrapped in seaweed, served with chopsticks and a small bowl of soy sauce on a wooden table. — gastronomy A common rice dish of Japanese cooking is sushi. To make a type known as *maki-zushi*, a sheet of seaweed is spread with rice flavored with vinegar. Seafood or vegetables and garnishes are then placed on top. Finally, the whole sheet is rolled into a cylinder and sliced.

In the context of molecular cooking, liquid nitrogen is primarily used as a tool for rapid cooling and flash-freezing. Because of its extremely low boiling point of approximately −196 °C (−321 °F), it allows chefs to extract heat from food almost instantaneously.123

This technique is employed in several ways:

Flash-freezing: Chefs use liquid nitrogen to freeze ingredients or prepared mixtures nearly instantly, which can create unique textures and prevent the formation of large ice crystals.13
Preparation of frozen desserts: It is commonly used to produce items such as sherbets and ice creams with an exceptionally smooth consistency.1
Culinary innovation: Beyond simple freezing, it is used to create various novel concoctions, such as flash-frozen popcorn balls, by rapidly altering the state of the food.1

While liquid nitrogen is a staple of modern culinary trends, its application in the kitchen was proposed as early as 1907. It serves as a powerful example of how tools and methods from scientific research are adapted to modernize and expand the possibilities of culinary transformation.1