Hervé This

Hervé This
Name	Hervé This
Birth date	1955-05-05
Birth place	Paris
Nationality	France
Fields	Chemistry
Alma mater	École Polytechnique (France), Institut national agronomique Paris-Grignon
Known for	Molecular gastronomy
Awards	Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur

Hervé This Hervé This is a French physical chemist and culinary scientist notable for founding and promoting the field of molecular gastronomy. He has worked at the intersection of chemistry, culinary arts, and food science to investigate the physical and chemical mechanisms behind cooking techniques and ingredients. His work has influenced chefs, researchers, and institutions across France, United States, and United Kingdom culinary and scientific communities.

Early life and education

Born in Paris in 1955, This studied at École Polytechnique (France) before completing graduate work at the Institut national agronomique Paris-Grignon. During his formative years he trained under researchers in physical chemistry and interacted with scientists at institutions such as CNRS and laboratories linked to INRAE. Early collaborations connected him to academics from Université Paris-Saclay and practitioners from Parisian culinary establishments, shaping his interdisciplinary approach.

Career and research

This began his research career in physical chemistry, investigating the thermodynamics and kinetics of food-related systems at French research centers and universities including Université Paris-Sud and laboratories affiliated with Collège de France. He coined and developed the term "molecular gastronomy" to describe an approach combining experimental methods from laboratory science with the practices of chefs and restaurateurs. His investigations have examined protein denaturation, gelation, emulsification, and Maillard chemistry through experiments that engaged colleagues from Institut Curie, École Normale Supérieure (Paris), and international partners in Italy, Spain, and the United States.

This has promoted systematic, reproducible experimentation, drawing on methods from physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, and sensory analysis used in collaborations with researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Davis, and Harvard University. He has worked on translating laboratory observations into testable recipes and protocols that could be implemented in professional kitchens affiliated with institutions such as Institut Paul Bocuse and culinary schools in Lyon and New York City.

Molecular gastronomy and culinary collaborations

As an advocate for dialogue between scientists and chefs, This organized seminars and workshops that brought together practitioners from restaurants like those of Alain Ducasse, Paul Bocuse, Ferran Adrià, and Heston Blumenthal with researchers from CNRS, INRAE, and university departments. Conferences and projects he initiated connected participants from CERN-adjacent outreach efforts, European research networks, and culinary institutes, creating practical experiments on spherification, sous-vide, foams, and gelling.

He collaborated on recipe reformulation, sensory trials, and public demonstrations, involving chefs and institutions across Barcelona, London, Paris, and New York City. His public lectures and televised appearances linked him to media outlets and cultural programs in France Télévisions and international culinary festivals, fostering exchanges with restauranteurs from El Bulli and modernist kitchens exploring techniques such as reverse spherification and textural modification.

Publications and books

This authored and co-authored numerous scientific articles and popular books that bridged laboratory reports and kitchen practice, publishing with academic presses and mainstream publishers. His works discuss experimental protocols, chemical explanations of traditional preparations, and methodological approaches to taste, with texts used by scholars at Sorbonne University and culinary educators at Johnson & Wales University. Collaborative publications involved co-authors and contributors from École Polytechnique (France), CNRS, and international universities.

He produced manuals and recipe-driven experiments that have been cited in journals of food science and referenced by chefs and researchers in conference proceedings across Europe and the Americas. His bibliography includes works that influenced curricula at culinary schools and research programs in gastronomy and sensory science, intersecting with studies by scientists at University College London and ETH Zurich.

Awards and recognition

This has been recognized by cultural and scientific institutions in France and abroad, receiving honors including appointments to orders such as Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. His contributions to culinary science earned invitations to serve on panels and juries for international competitions and festivals, linking him with organizations like UNESCO cultural initiatives and culinary associations in Europe and North America.

Scholars and chefs have cited his influence in the development of contemporary gastronomy, and he has been the subject of profiles in major outlets and academic reviews tied to institutions including Collège de France and Musée des Arts et Métiers exhibitions.

Personal life and legacy

This has maintained a public presence through lectures, workshops, and publications, mentoring researchers and chefs who continue to explore the chemistry of cooking at universities and culinary institutions such as Institut Paul Bocuse, Cordon Bleu, and Université de Lyon. His legacy is evident in the integration of experimental science into professional kitchens and in academic programs that combine chemistry and culinary practice, influencing pedagogy in France and internationally. He remains a reference figure in discussions about the scientific study of culinary techniques and the dissemination of experimental gastronomy.

Category:French chemists Category:Culinary scientists Category:1955 births