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NYU chemistry professor Kent Kirshenbaum. Photo: Jeff Potter
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Like many inquisitive scientists,
Kent Kirshenbaum regularly scans the ingredient list of prepared foods to uncover the chemical composites lurking within. The substance that most recently piqued the New York University chemistry professor's curiosity is
liquid smoke. "My immediate thought was that it was a horrible mix of chemicals," he told us.
After distilling the concentrated smoke and liquid mix (often sold at the grocery store
by the bottle to enhance barbecue) down to its roots of water and more than 400 chemical compounds, the scientist (who in person comes across as one part
Einstein, one part
Malcolm Gladwell) learned that liquid smoke is actually "safer [for human ingestion] than untreated wood smoke."
Kirshenbaum discussed his discovery last week during a monthly gathering of the Experimental Cuisine Collective -- food nerds who love to make things like edible foam. We caught up with him to chat smoke, bongs and homemade liquid smoke.
What is liquid smoke? Liquid smoke is very simply smoke in water. Smoke usually comes as a vapor, but there are ways to condense it and turn it into liquid and that liquid can then be carried in water.
Continue reading Liquid Smoke - What is It?
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译文:
烟熏液 --为何物
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NYU chemistry professor Kent Kirshenbaum. Photo: Jeff Potter
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与许多爱思考的科学家一样，肯特克什鲍姆定期审查调制食品的成分清单以发现潜藏在食品中的化合物。最近激起这位纽约大学化学教授好奇心的物质是烟熏液。他告诉我们：“我首先想到的这种物质是一种很可怕的化合物。”
蒸馏过的这种浓缩烟熏和液体混合物（通常在杂货店以瓶装的形式出售，用于烧烤），这种液体是由水和400多种化合物构成的。这位科学家（他自称集爱因斯坦和马尔科姆·格拉德威尔 的智慧于一身）知道烟熏液“实际上比未经处理的木制烟熏安全（人类食入）”。
克什鲍姆在上周烹饪试验组织每月举办一次的集会上论述了他的发现--美食爱好者喜欢把东西作成食用泡沫。我们找到他和他聊了关于烟熏、烟斗以及家制烟熏液的相关事情。
什么是烟熏液？
烟熏液是在水中制作一种简单的烟熏。烟通常以水蒸气的形式散发出来，但是有许多方式使之凝结成液体，并使这种液体在水中流走。
继续阅读烟熏液--为何物？