What are culinary definitions in molecular gastronomy?

It is a common misconception that "molecular gastronomy" refers to the act of cooking with high-tech tools or creating avant-garde dishes. In reality, the term is strictly defined as a scientific discipline.12

To clarify the terminology established by the field, the following distinctions are used:

• Molecular Gastronomy: This is the scientific discipline that investigates the physical and chemical mechanisms of phenomena occurring during culinary transformations (e.g., why a soufflé rises or how mayonnaise firms).12
• Molecular Cooking: This refers to the technologically oriented way of cooking that utilizes new tools, ingredients, and methods developed through research in molecular gastronomy.2
• Molecular Cuisine: This term designates the specific culinary style or trend that employs the techniques derived from molecular cooking.12

These definitions were formalized around 1999 to separate the scientific study of culinary processes from the creative culinary enterprise. While molecular cooking often utilizes laboratory equipment—such as siphons for foams or ultrasonic probes for emulsions—these tools are applied to modernize and rationalize traditional cooking practices.2