Damage done by invisible molecules in volatile cooking ingredients.
Posted on February 5th, 2012

Dr Hector Perera London

I read the article about the speech delivered by the Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry, University of Colombo Eric H. Karunanayake, Chairman, National Research Council, at the Convocation of the University of Colombo. This was a few years ago but I am glad he also spoke about microscopic particles called molecules as well so that the general public could understand.

Let me tell you how these invisible microscopic molecules escaped while cooking gradually ruin the kitchen, your clothes, make up, jewellery, how they deposit on your face, body and also on exposed parts of the chest. There is a saying, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-smaller the b——- bigger the r——ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, yes sometimes itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s true.

I have devoted my time to find out the ways of saving energy that is vastly wasted in the simple processes such as cooking. The wastage is due to pure negligence and carelessness. Once I discovered the energy saving then I also found out how to cut down this cooking smell as well.

When I was holidaying in Sri Lanka, I directed the question to a few ladies and gentlemen to find out how they would cook a pot of rice. Some said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We use a rice cooker – there is no method, just measure the quantity of rice, double it with water and switch onƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. What about cooking on gas fire? No one came up with an answer that I was looking for. A few told me that they would check the pot of rice with a wooden handle, not just once but a couple of times. I am sure they were unaware that heat is lost in that process. That means that no one knew exactly about either saving energy or time. Some affluent ones said, “We have servants and they cook and we

do not worry until the food comes to table”! That was in the good olden days but now the servants are gold dust.

To my mind, this is not the right thing because when servants cook they are clueless about any scientific based cooking. What they do is to simply cook with gas on full blast or replacing fire wood (as they burn out) in traditional kitchens. In the past, we also depended on servants cooking on firewood kitchens. In a way, I like this type of cooking but donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t like to walk about with curry and fried dry fish smell on my clothes.

This type of cooking has lots of disadvantages such as waste of energy, pollution of the environment, contamination of household goods due to a cocktail of volatile gases escaping during the process of cooking and thus depositing an oily, smelly layer on things such as on clothes, TV, music centres, telephones, microwave ovens, fridge, freezer, food processors left on the work top, kitchen cupboards, doors, windows and even the clothes in your bedrooms.

Take servantsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ cooking or frying prawns, dry fish or even preparing chicken or fish curry for example. The tiny volatile oily molecules in these food particles escape with molecules of escaping steam, leaving an ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”oily sticky cocktailƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of molecules. Sometimes these cocktail of sticky oily molecules piggy back these water molecules and that is one way of escaping. If you think for a moment what I say has no basis then just try running your finger on the wall near the cooker, and then you will realise that the area is sticky! Do the same thing on the cooker hood, kitchen cupboards or any other material in or around the kitchen. You might have a small radio with a CD player or sometimes a TV as most Americans do and to your surprise, most of them will have this sticky oily surface. This didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t happen suddenly but over the period of time because usually almost on daily basis, sometimes two or three times a day we cook then this natural process of deterioration takes place without your knowledge.

I am sure you have paid your hard earned money to buy your appliances and household goods but now unfortunately covered with tiny invisible oily molecules! How did this happen? This is by cooking, whether the servants or any other person cook, invariably it happens.

But who pays for these? It is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-YOUƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ who pays for the food, gas and the household goods and the appliances at home such as TV, microware oven and the fully fitted kitchen. IsnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t it sad that they gradually get covered with these invisible smelly oily molecules? Do you like those to be wasted that way? I am sure not.

Quite recently we were invited for a dinner to a flat in Dehiwala. The lady was showing around the flat that they were living for the past two years, the fully fitted modern valuable kitchen with cooker hood and a 6 burner cooker, with all the modern accessories in the kitchen. I must say itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s really attractive with sunken lights on the kitchen cupboard and looks expensive as well. I just finger checked the cooker area, to my surprise; it was sticky and oily although there was this extractor fan but it was sticky as well like a fly catcher.

When you have a dinner party, you like to show off the kitchen and happily cook away anything that is fine. The problem is with or without your knowledge you are gradually ruining your kitchen. Not only that, you end up having a shower of cocktail of volatile cooking ingredients on you from the curries you make! Do you realise that your hair, face, clothes, jewellery and the exposed parts of your body smell from a microscopically thin film of volatile sticky oily layer on you! It may be minute, but enough to have a very distinct strong aroma of cooking ingredients on you. Remember the cats can smell any mice from any corner of the house so are these guests.

It could be that the people want to be polite and may not want to tell this to your face but the fact remains, and you need to admit, that you could smell like an Indian restaurant from the deposits of these tiny microscopic, invisible molecules of curries on you!

Then what would you do?

Well! You seek the help of cologne or spray on you to kill the smell and have a broad smile on your face, but donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t forget you have not got rid of the smell yet! It is there on your face, hands, other exposed parts of the body, valuable dress, blouse, make-up and the jewellery. This may not happen instantaneously but sure and steadily, it takes a while to become noticeable enough to an outsider who comes to your home for the dinner party.

All these trappings, I have mentioned above is merely to show that there is a problem and what shall we do about it! Why not try a take away? So, there is no cooking involved! But what happens is that you take away the food that is filled with fat, salt, added sugar, may be monosodium glutamate as well added, too many types of source with lots of E additives in them, also possible but not always to have out dated meat, fish and contaminated food, partially washed or unwashed salads or vegetables and who knows what? You know that unwashed vegetables are contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals but one cannot help when you have a takeaway. DonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t forget, once they stir fry with lots of oil, garlic, ginger and spiced up and garnish with freshly cut onions, coriander leaves, rampae and karapincha these smells tend to disappear like magic but the customers have pay to eat these partially rotten food.

I am in a position to demonstrate how to cook on the basis of science. Yes, by applying basic scientific principles to stop unnecessary wastage of energy and save time and also save money that is spent on gas or electricity simultaneously. I have the secret with me to show to deal with this cocktail of volatile gases that is supposed to be doing an overall damage. I am able to make plain so that even any GCSE student can absorb and understand what I say about these invisible molecules. One does not need to have a degree in biochemistry or molecular biology to understand my explanation. I am waiting for the opportunity. Why not any organisation who is interested in saving gas contact me, chemistry4u@tiscali.co.uk

Dr Hector Perera. BSc [Hons] MSc PhD UK

To be used later: Reference on line Daily News 24/10/08 where CMC have raided food outlets who sell out dated, contaminated food. Step in the right direction, CMC are re-educating these people who run the food outlets. Take away food outlets are businesses, which should comply with regulations and take all the hygienic precautions when they store meat, fish and other things. But do they always comply with the rules and regulations? Perhaps not, as they have to rush to cater for a mass demand.

Well in my case I am not fully against these take-aways. So what is the solution?

or any other chain supermarkets or you may contact this magazine LANKAWAY on lankaway@gmail.com so that they would happily contact me.

One Response to “Damage done by invisible molecules in volatile cooking ingredients.”

  1. Fran Diaz Says:

    We find it very refreshing to read your articles, Dr Perera ! thank you.

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