Sweet meets heat in “We Cayenne Change the World,” a rich, velvety chocolate ice cream, with a hint of cinnamon and a burst of cayenne pepper. It’s fire-and-ice worthy of an extra scoop, as it won Cornell’s annual Food Science 1101 final project.
“It’s a Mexican ‘hot’ chocolate that starts off with a creamy chocolate taste and ends with a lively spice,” said winning team member Emma Moulton ’21. “The ice cream theme this year was ‘Flavors That Connect,’ so we went for the idea of connecting across differences.”
In the team’s class presentation, the students noted that these flavors, seemingly polar opposites, can meet in harmony. Said Moulton: “Blending cold chocolate with hot cayenne, the flavors come together and create a dialogue in your mouth.”
The introductory Food Science 1101 class is offered each fall and explores the application of science and technology to foods. Late in the course, the students obtain hands-on experience, divide into teams, create concepts, experiment in their own kitchens and develop what they hope will be a winning ice cream flavor.
“My favorite part of the class was going into the production plant and actually making the ice cream, figuring out how the flavors connect and balance each other,” said team member Michal Weiss ’20.
Ice cream aficionados will like the chocolate-cayenne combination, said Christopher Loss ’96, M.S. ’01, Ph.D. ’06, the Louis Pasteur Food Science Lecturer who teaches the class.