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Why did some chefs prefer the term Modernist instead of molecular gastronomy?

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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.

Many chefs preferred the term "Modernist" over "molecular gastronomy" because the latter label often carried negative connotations and sparked public backlash. Critics and some diners frequently perceived the application of scientific techniques in the kitchen as "mad science," viewing the use of laboratory tools and chemical additives as unnatural or gimmicky.1

This perception led to hostile reactions, with some traditionalist chefs and critics arguing that such methods were dishonest or debased the craft of cooking. By adopting the term "Modernist," these chefs sought to distance themselves from the "mad scientist" stereotype and the alienation caused by the public's misunderstanding of the science behind their culinary innovations.1

Furthermore, the term "molecular gastronomy" was originally intended to describe the scientific discipline investigating the mechanisms of culinary phenomena, rather than the culinary style itself. As the field evolved, it became necessary to distinguish between the scientific research and the creative culinary enterprise, leading to the use of terms like "molecular cooking" or "molecular cuisine" for the latter, while "Modernist" provided a broader, more favorable identity for the chefs involved.23