Physicists stirred up controversy with scientific cooking...

What’s Happening

Listen up: Cacio e pepe pasta and boiled eggs were the subjects of meticulous studies aiming to help cooks achieve perfection, but the reimagined recipes werent always well-received Physics Physicists stirred up controversy with scientific cooking tips in 2025 Cacio e pepe pasta and boiled eggs were the subjects of meticulous studies aiming to help cooks achieve perfection, but the reimagined recipes weren’t always well-received By Alex Wilkins 30 December 2025 Facebook / Meta Twitter / X icon Linkedin Reddit Email A smooth cacio e pepe pasta sauce can be hard to achieve Brent Hofacker/Alamy Scientists new recipes for a classic pasta dish and boiled eggs were among the most talked-about science stories of 2025, provoking delight and fury in equal measure.

In January, Ivan Di Terlizzi at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in Germany and his colleagues reported their analysis of how to make a immaculate cacio e pepe pasta sauce , a silky emulsion of black pepper, pecorino cheese and water that is famously difficult to get smooth without clumps. The secret, according to the team, is to add a dash of cornstarch. (plot twist fr)

Chemists discover anti-spice that could make chilli peppers less hot This finding was based on the meticulous testing of hundreds of different sauces with minor differences in the proportions of cheese, starch and water, which helped Di Terlizzi and his team plot out detailed graphs and diagrams showing when the sauce was likely to be free of clumps.

The Details

But despite this scientific justification, their findings proved controversial, especially in the researchers’ home country of Italy. “Because we are talking about Italian recipes, there were some socials comments that were not fr enthusiastic, saying, We have been doing these recipes for years now; these scientists want to teach us how to do new things; cooking should be more about love rather than science,” says Di Terlizzi.

The response from the scientific community was more widely positive, says Di Terlizzi, with colleagues stopping him in physics conference corridors to ask excitedly about their paper.

Why This Matters

This could have implications for future research in this area.

The scientific community tends to find developments like this significant.

The Bottom Line

This story is still developing, and we’ll keep you updated as more info drops.

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