molecular gastronomy
n.— «One of France’s most prestigious academic institutions has founded a laboratory devoted to the study of “molecular gastronomy.” The new unit at the College de France in Paris will be headed by Dr. Herve This, a research chemist.…His first new experiment will be to determine whether coffee smells different when sugar is added. He will also study the scientific principles behind the work of Michelin-starred chefs to devise better ways to prepare top-class dishes.» —“Haute cuisine turns to science to unlock gastronomical secrets: Chemist to research smell of coffee” by Mark Henderson, Adam Sage in Paris Ottawa Citizen (Can.) Dec. 18, 2000. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)