The Dave Chang Show Soufflés and Time Travel
Dec 11, 2025
Dive into the art of soufflés with a balance of science and culinary history. Discover how this delicate dish embodies time travel through cooking techniques. Dave explains the complexities of meringue and challenges traditional ideas about molecular gastronomy. He shares pivotal moments in his career that shaped his approach to modernist cooking. As he prepares and tastes his soufflés, the suspense builds—is he fast enough to serve them before they collapse? Tune in for insights and a delicious taste test!
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Soufflé As Culinary Time Travel
- A properly made soufflé links old technique and modern science to create a near-timeless dish.
- Dave Chang calls it a form of culinary time travel that rewards understanding history and technique.
Argument That Changed His Cooking Direction
- Dave recounts arguing with a coworker about learning modern techniques after exposure to El Bulli-style cuisine.
- That moment pushed him to study science and broaden his cooking beyond traditional fire-based methods.
The Term That Set Back Culinary Science
- 'Molecular gastronomy' was coined to study food science but the media turned it into a villainous label.
- Dave argues that mainstream rejection of the term cost a lost opportunity to educate the public on food science.
