What is baking powder, and how is it different from baking soda?

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  • Опубліковано 28 кві 2024
  • Thanks to Kove for sponsoring this video! Use my code AR64 to get more than 60% off the Kove Audio Noise Canceling Headphones here: koveaudio.com/ar64
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    "Baking Powder Wars: The Cutthroat Food Fight that Revolutionized Cooking," by Dr. Linda Civitello: www.press.uillinois.edu/books...
    Thanks to Dr. Rebecca Regan, formerly of Kansas State University, for scientific consultations.
    My (very) old video about phase cancellation: • How to remove vocals f...
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  • @RedDuke42
    @RedDuke42 3 роки тому +951

    That woman is so fantastically enthusiastic about the matter. Not only is she wearing a baker's hat, the cute toys in the background are also wearing their own little hats.

    • @bedgegog
      @bedgegog 2 роки тому +7

      She looks like Chris Chan lol

    • @themisguidedpoet1570
      @themisguidedpoet1570 2 роки тому +2

      @dux came to the comments looking to see if anyone else noticed. Thank you.

    • @peytonfrancis4869
      @peytonfrancis4869 2 роки тому

      instablaster

    • @ngm218
      @ngm218 2 роки тому +11

      That is cute until you visit and she locks the door behind you. Then I'm pretty sure she's gonna try to eat me. Maybe I've been watching too much MrBallen vids, lol.

    • @JiveDadson
      @JiveDadson 2 роки тому +1

      I thought it was a Phrygian cap.

  • @vankry2682
    @vankry2682 3 роки тому +739

    This literally could not have come at a better time. I just got done arguing with my mother over why it mattered which one one I used for my cookies. I now have more evidence to support my claim, thank you!

    • @samurottman6832
      @samurottman6832 3 роки тому +45

      Oof, I know how it feels to have a stubborn mother

    • @DrRiq
      @DrRiq 3 роки тому +26

      everyone does tbh

    • @screamsintothevoid9968
      @screamsintothevoid9968 3 роки тому +10

      Oh for my cookies I use both

    • @Encysted
      @Encysted 3 роки тому +18

      A professional pastry chef in an Epicurious series of Amateur vs Pro mentioned they use a 50/50 split to get denser cookies that don't turn to rocks in the fridge.

    • @ramshackleeng2344
      @ramshackleeng2344 3 роки тому +1

      It is advisable to check the ingredients in these products. Some contain Sodium Bicarbonate (bicarb soda), others contain Sodium Carbonate ( The old washing soda .. E500 ). There is a difference. I have found the later to cause itching in the skin and hypertension. Possibly a link to ADHD.

  • @dinespetersen8711
    @dinespetersen8711 3 роки тому +108

    Here in denmark, ammonium bicarbonate is still called "hjortetakssalt", literally dear-antler-salt.
    It is no longer actually made from antler, but produced artificially.

  • @dcfreak23
    @dcfreak23 3 роки тому +35

    In Norway, baker's ammonia (called 'hornsalt' in Norwegian) is still commonly sold in the grocery stores and is a key ingredient in a Norwegian type of pancake called sveler or lapper. The taste of the hornsalt is actually what gives the lapper their characteristic alkaline flavor. They're easy and delicious... give them a try! They're typically served with strawberry jam and soured cream.

  • @javiator3007
    @javiator3007 3 роки тому +1445

    Me: *about to go to bed*
    Adam: What is baking powder?
    Me: i n t e r e s t i n g

    • @TheBelrick
      @TheBelrick 3 роки тому +15

      Adam saying crooked politicians is an act of redundancy.

    • @marleneantunes3293
      @marleneantunes3293 3 роки тому

      S a M e

    • @tiptopdadddy
      @tiptopdadddy 3 роки тому +2

      Trivia; Clabber Girl is manufactured by Hulman and Co who also owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    • @SarahLizDoan
      @SarahLizDoan 3 роки тому

      Yep

    • @DannyGT3Rs
      @DannyGT3Rs 3 роки тому +4

      idk how i got here but im addicted to this dudes channel

  • @mathesonbell5532
    @mathesonbell5532 3 роки тому +1429

    This question has surrounded so many of my shower thought tangents

    • @thestellarelite
      @thestellarelite 3 роки тому +9

      hahaha I love this

    • @karu6111
      @karu6111 3 роки тому +18

      I never really questioned this, I just put them in when the recipe instructs me to, I'm so glad to have known the difference lol... Adam is a gift to home cooks.

    • @TheGozeraye
      @TheGozeraye 3 роки тому +21

      Do our teeth have a flavor to them or do we just not taste them because they're always there and we're too used to their taste?

    • @the_original_Bilb_Ono
      @the_original_Bilb_Ono 3 роки тому +3

      Bananas are probably the best fruit.. think about how long humans and other creatures have been naturally selecting them to make them so sweet and soft.

    • @overclucker
      @overclucker 3 роки тому +1

      me too...

  • @natfingerboard
    @natfingerboard 3 роки тому +173

    This series is phenomenal, understanding what those ingredients are, how they are made, what they do, how they act, the difference between all variations is essential in understanding what makes a good recipe, and what can go wrong, or what did go wrong, and allows for improvements or changes along the process. Knowledge is power and the saying "know the rules to break the rules" is definitely well-represented when it comes to cooking.

    • @RedRoseSeptember22
      @RedRoseSeptember22 3 роки тому +3

      Yasss my nerd self is happy XD lol.

    • @flyinghighallday
      @flyinghighallday 4 місяці тому

      Well said.

    • @tcprtiato
      @tcprtiato 3 місяці тому

      Couldn't agree more, it's simply a fantastic series and this video is thoroughly entertaining and informing start to finish.

  • @DannyBeans
    @DannyBeans Рік тому +71

    I love it that the "aluminum is toxic" crowd doesn't seem at all concerned about the phosphorus and sodium that are also in baking powder.

    • @TedBarton91
      @TedBarton91 8 місяців тому +3

      Aluminium*

    • @DJstarrfish
      @DJstarrfish 7 місяців тому

      ​@@TedBarton91no

    • @arctic_line
      @arctic_line 4 місяці тому +19

      @@TedBarton91 Both are correct, it is a regional difference. Hell, it's even one of the most well know differences between british and american english.

    • @General12th
      @General12th 4 місяці тому +5

      @@TedBarton91Aluminumium*

    • @trevinbeattie4888
      @trevinbeattie4888 3 місяці тому

      Phosphorus and sodium are both critical elements necessary for all life. Aluminium has no known biologic function, and is toxic at over 100 _micrograms_ per liter of blood. Compare this to the normal concentration of phosphorus at 40 _milligrams_ per liter, and calcium an 95 milligrams. [Source: “Aluminum Poisoning with Emphasis on Its Mechanism and Treatment of Intoxication”, National Library of Medicine, January 11, 2022]

  • @Basomic
    @Basomic 3 роки тому +611

    This was a question I've had and promised myself I'd do the research... And then Adam does all the hard work for me and packages it up into a nice 13 minute video. Thanks Adam!

    • @hobomnky
      @hobomnky 3 роки тому +7

      you might have been better off doing your own research, he never mentioned that sodium bicarbonate decomposes around 50'C which really retracts the significance of the acid included in baking powder.
      The single acting baking powder consumes most of the NaHCO3 immediately because the acid involved is effective enough to consume lots of it quickly. The double acting versions use a less effective(or smaller quantity of) acid that doesn't consume all the NaHCO3 and allows some of the CO2 to be released later on in the cooking process. This second action occurs at roughly the same temperature that NaHCO3 decomposes. So perhaps the added acid accelerates the CO2 production during cooking with an acid base reaction but regardless there would be CO2 produced by decomposition of the NaHCO3 anyway.

    • @nowonmetube
      @nowonmetube 3 роки тому +3

      Hard work?
      First class in chemistry. Alkaline base and acid 🤦‍♂️
      There you can see the American schooling system failed miserably.

    • @nowonmetube
      @nowonmetube 3 роки тому

      @@hobomnky actually be did mentioned just that

    • @hobomnky
      @hobomnky 3 роки тому +1

      @@nowonmetube timestamp? I think you are hearing things that aren't there. I went through the video again and did not find any mention of that.

    • @TrogdorBurnin8or
      @TrogdorBurnin8or 3 роки тому +4

      I also wrote this question down in my "That's always bothered me, look up the actual facts" list two weeks ago, when I wrote a researched post debunking anti-vax opposition to the

  • @boabuin1151
    @boabuin1151 3 роки тому +792

    5:54
    "And here, we can admire the Adamius Ragusean on his natural habitat, in front of a computer, dreadfully editing a well-polished video, just for the comments to be plagued with Why I Season My X not my Y comments"

    • @xway2
      @xway2 3 роки тому +51

      Why I season my steak, not my cutting board. Long live the Empire.

    • @anniepark2050
      @anniepark2050 3 роки тому +9

      xway2 all hail the Empire!

    • @razaqadeanova3255
      @razaqadeanova3255 3 роки тому +16

      And white wine jokes

    • @FerieMayASMR
      @FerieMayASMR 3 роки тому +3

      hahahaha 😅

    • @Rogue_Rouge
      @Rogue_Rouge 3 роки тому +6

      Why I season my headphones and not my speakers

  • @lisaflower5994
    @lisaflower5994 2 роки тому +11

    I started baking almost 50 years ago , and kitchens were SMALL back then so I only kept plain flour and strong flour, and used bicarb and cream of tartar to ‘make’ self raising flour, if I ran out of baking powder. Now I understand why it never worked the way cookbooks said it would. Thanks Adam

  • @crossmr
    @crossmr 3 роки тому +12

    When I first moved here to South Korea and started baking, I can tell you that the local popular baking powder that was available definitely had a significant taste to it. For a couple years I actually imported some from the US, but they local companies seem to have changed their formula now.

  • @joshuasims5421
    @joshuasims5421 3 роки тому +258

    These food science journalism pieces really are the best, thanks Adam.

  • @Mia-he5si
    @Mia-he5si 3 роки тому +830

    0:22 its so sad, the baking soda volcano always wins the science fair😔😔

    • @bernardosantos8020
      @bernardosantos8020 3 роки тому +29

      Yay incompetence

    • @KanjoosLahookvinhaakvinhookvin
      @KanjoosLahookvinhaakvinhookvin 3 роки тому +155

      Mine banned volcanoes because they're boring, ubiquitous and impossible to fairly judge against creativity.

    • @AngieGandalf6
      @AngieGandalf6 3 роки тому +100

      In my country science fairs aren't a thing. Does the baking soda volcano really win that often? Lmao

    • @quarkbdsm2079
      @quarkbdsm2079 3 роки тому +4

      .

    • @Hijado
      @Hijado 3 роки тому +15

      @@AngieGandalf6 Same question here, the reaction itself is really simple. It's one of the easiest Acid-base reaction to pull off. The base will take the hydrogen from the acid and because the base contains CO3^-2 it will seperate into H2O and CO2. This is because H2CO3 is unstable.

  • @dsholt
    @dsholt 3 роки тому +14

    I think I've commented on this in your videos before, but its worth repeating: thank you for reaching out to the experts whose work you rely on and incorporating them into your videos. So many UA-cam videos and podcasts are just book reports that don't show their work. Your videos are a model for how to make sure authors get proper credit.

  • @dhabu9017
    @dhabu9017 3 роки тому +12

    Great video as always :) Fun fact: When I was in Korea, I found they have baking powder varieties with either sodium or ammonium bicarbonate. I bought the ammonia-based one the first time by accident; I can confirm it does indeed imbue your baking with a...uric... aroma (although thankfully it was faint and dissipated over time).

  • @antimatter2376
    @antimatter2376 3 роки тому +98

    "Miscellaneously tart" is my new saying

  • @bernardosantos8020
    @bernardosantos8020 3 роки тому +155

    This is a question that haunts my dreams

    • @bernardosantos8020
      @bernardosantos8020 3 роки тому +6

      Especially when I try to make pancakes, and go “wait, is it baking powder or baking soda? Wait, do I even have it? Wait, what’s their translation to Portuguese? SO MANY QUESTION, SO FEW ANSWERS!!!!”

    • @Banditxam4
      @Banditxam4 3 роки тому

      It was in my 10th grade science 😂😂

    • @foysalratul
      @foysalratul 3 роки тому

      same

    • @namingisdifficult408
      @namingisdifficult408 3 роки тому +3

      Bernardo Santos well at least one of those questions shall haunt you no longer. Unless you forget.

    • @bernardosantos8020
      @bernardosantos8020 3 роки тому +1

      Naming is Difficult, oh, believe me
      I will

  • @davidj.kleinsasser8673
    @davidj.kleinsasser8673 2 роки тому +2

    My german grandmother made ammonia cookies at Xmas, the ammonia smell is strong when the cookies come out of the oven, but is mostly gone by the time they cool down. They tasted great!

  • @toeey14
    @toeey14 3 роки тому +74

    2019 - How bored do you have to be to read a book about a war over baking powder?
    2020 - Hello amazon....yes, Ill take 6 copies please

    • @TimothyReeves
      @TimothyReeves 3 роки тому +7

      I'm into chemistry, and I've read books about the history of screwdrivers (the hand tool , not the cocktail), the history of the number zero, and the history of pepper, so yes, I'd likely enjoy reading about the history of baking powder.

    • @johnd4348
      @johnd4348 3 роки тому

      Book would make a great gag gift.

    • @brucehutchinson9527
      @brucehutchinson9527 3 роки тому +1

      Who reads books about baking powder- Crooks and chemist. By the way Cooking is chemistry.

  • @Marpurrsa
    @Marpurrsa 3 роки тому +68

    "you caught me editing myself again"
    adam out of context quotes

  • @Ark--fn8my
    @Ark--fn8my 3 роки тому +261

    Adam is getting more and more scientific, next video should be titled
    "What even is Fermentation, and how is it differ from Pickling?"
    I love this because it tackles some of the anxiety from fermented food (yes, it exist) like tempeh, i know several westerners who have concern regarding tempeh fermentation using fungi (Rhizopus Oligosporus) on the basis that Rhizopus Oligsporus could be a basis for Rhizopus Microsporus, which, if you've remember 11th grade biology lesson, can cause infection on Immunosuppresant patient. Then you can even tackle about fungi fermentation and then bacteria fermentation (like alcohol, since you said you've been drinking more and more (; )

    • @markkalsbeek5883
      @markkalsbeek5883 3 роки тому +6

      You could even mention that some of people's favorite Italian and French sausages are fermented using a mold bath.

    • @Kakyyoin
      @Kakyyoin 3 роки тому +1

      @stockart whiteman "i know several westerners", implying he is not one. I'm assuming we both are can we can agree that most people don't give a fuck about fermentation.

    • @Ark--fn8my
      @Ark--fn8my 3 роки тому +5

      @stockart whiteman I think most people had reservation more on the part of imagining that the food they eat are made using fungi or bacteria, and seeing black spots on food that they will eat can gives some people reservation

    • @__nobody__
      @__nobody__ 3 роки тому +1

      On fermentation just look at what Sandor Katz does - the "People's Republic of Fermentation" series was pure gold ( ua-cam.com/play/PLDfUp9XK6kA176NN76_4vxx983PEGK9q_.html ). (Doesn't mean that Adam shouldn't cover fermentation, in fact I'd _love_ to see a collab with Sandor!)

    • @MenaceLendil
      @MenaceLendil 3 роки тому +5

      @@Ark--fn8my Tbf most people propably don't know that a lot of foods in made with fermentation. Any alkoholic beverage, cheese, yoghurt, and a lot more.

  • @lyntallon6325
    @lyntallon6325 Рік тому +24

    This is becoming my "how to understand American recipes" channel. I always wondered if baking soda was the same as bicarbonate of soda (makes baking sounds scientific, doesn't it?) And it sounds like it is. Good to know.

  • @ehsan_kia
    @ehsan_kia 3 роки тому

    I've always asked myself this very question and I remember looking it up but never finding an answer anywhere as detailed and satisfying as this.

  • @Mikedimmy
    @Mikedimmy 3 роки тому +18

    I cannot remember where I heard this, but I think this whenever I need one of the two when I'm cooking 'Powder puffs, soda spreads'

  • @PhoenixIncPi
    @PhoenixIncPi 3 роки тому +75

    Wasn't expecting you to cover such BASIC stuff. :P

    • @jerdasaurusrex557
      @jerdasaurusrex557 3 роки тому +3

      AYYYY

    • @etherdog
      @etherdog 3 роки тому +9

      What an acid wit you have :-)

    • @samp_txt
      @samp_txt 3 роки тому +7

      PhoenixIncPi Jesus that pun left a bitter taste in my mouth.

    • @zashtozaboga
      @zashtozaboga 3 роки тому +6

      wow, that sounded a bit salty

    • @ginsederp
      @ginsederp 3 роки тому +4

      He's pretty neutral about it to be honest.

  • @jdmxxx38
    @jdmxxx38 3 роки тому +1

    That was a really excellent treatment of the subject. You dispelled a lot of confusion for me. Thanks.

  • @GigaDavy91
    @GigaDavy91 3 роки тому +35

    Correction:
    Not all acid-base reaction produce carbon dioxide, only bicarbonate ions and carbonate ions break down to form CO2 when they react with enough acid

    • @nickthebrick2528
      @nickthebrick2528 3 роки тому +3

      Came here to say the same thing! Chemistry 4 life xD

    • @morantNO1
      @morantNO1 2 роки тому

      In which case differs this from just saying the reactions produce CO2? If (bi)carbonite ions are produced, wouldn't they immediately react with oxygen in the air anyway?
      I have no degree in science, this is a genuine question.

  • @bilalkhalid266
    @bilalkhalid266 3 роки тому +276

    0:46 Clearly he’s had plenty of practice doing this

    • @bernardosantos8020
      @bernardosantos8020 3 роки тому +57

      me: hey, you got the stuff bro?
      Adam: what stuff?
      me: you know...
      *demi glace*

    • @hugh212
      @hugh212 3 роки тому +4

      @@bernardosantos8020 next time try spelling it right

    • @bernardosantos8020
      @bernardosantos8020 3 роки тому +8

      Hugh,
      firstly: grammar nazi
      secondly: what did I spell wrongly?

    • @jacobramirez4894
      @jacobramirez4894 3 роки тому +1

      @@bernardosantos8020 xd

    • @Shabadaba1216
      @Shabadaba1216 3 роки тому +3

      @@bernardosantos8020 Demi glace

  • @sunnydchugger
    @sunnydchugger 3 роки тому +38

    Adam, please make a video related to fast food? Would love an informative video about the breakdown of maybe certain fast food items compared to home cooked versions and whatnot. Also tell me why I almost shit my pants every time I eat it.

    • @ramonanaya6236
      @ramonanaya6236 3 роки тому +2

      Mmm you may want to get tested for Crohn's

    • @sunnydchugger
      @sunnydchugger 3 роки тому +2

      Ramon Anaya Maybe. But it’s only fast food or mainstream restaurant food that does it. Hence why I stopped eating at said places about 3-4 months ago cold turkey. I can eat similar food at a mom and pop shop that is obviously cooked in a healthier way and have no issue. Same goes if I were to recreate say 100% homemade chicken nuggets/smash burger and fries at home; I will have zero issues. I think it’s truly what is in the food or how they cook said food at places such as TGIF/McDonald’s/Burger King/Applebee’s.

    • @AidanNaut0
      @AidanNaut0 3 роки тому +3

      @@sunnydchugger As someone who's also searching for answers regarding my own intestinal issues, consider these few points.
      Most commercial french fries are coated in a flavoring made of wheat and milk derivatives. That may cause problems if you're lactose or gluten intolerant.
      When cooking at home, most folks opt for using less oil/fat compared to commercial establishments. Might be the amount of processed fats that you consume from fast food.
      Above all if you're not sure of any food intolerances (and are willing to suffer for a month and a half), you can try an elimination diet (such as Whole30) to figure out what foods don't agree with you.
      Best of luck, comrade in not shitting ones self.

    • @georgeprout42
      @georgeprout42 3 роки тому +8

      @@AidanNaut0 I'll add that it also varies by country. For example, I just got the McDonald's fries ingredients from both the US and UK sites (I got a bit carried away if you keep scrolling)
      US:
      Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [wheat And Milk Derivatives]*), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (maintain Color), Salt. *natural Beef Flavor Contains Hydrolyzed Wheat And Hydrolyzed Milk As Starting Ingredients.
      Contains: Wheat, Milk.
      (My note - this is just starting ingredients, presumably they've excluded the store frying process)
      UK:
      Potatoes, Blend of Non-Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed), Dextrose (predominantly added at beginning of the potato season).
      Prepared in the restaurants using a non-hydrogenated vegetable oil.
      So yes, lactose and gluten allergies in the US but not the UK. I tried to get the ingredients for France as I could translate that but the site refused me access due to my location.
      McD Brazil left me wanting to try a Big Tasty Turbo Queijo and Picanha ClubHouse. With bacon.
      Couldn't see the ingredients listed on that site and I've now run out of other languages that I speak.
      Wait, how about Australia?
      Potato, Canola Oil, Mineral Salt (450), Dextrose, Antifoam (1521)
      OR
      Potatoes, Canola Oil (Acidity Regulator (330)), Dextrose Monohydrate (Preservative ( 220)), Mineral Salt (450), Antifoam (Non-ionic polyalkylene glycol), Preservative ( 223).
      Sorry I'm on a roll
      Canada:
      Potatoes, high oleic low linolenic canola oil and/or canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavour (vegetable source), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophopshate (maintain colour), citric acid (preservative), dimethylpolysiloxane (antifoaming agent). Cooked in vegetable oil (high oleic low linoleic canola oil and/or canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, citric acid, dimethylpolysiloxane)
      Salt
      Salt, silicoaluminate, dextrose, potassium iodide
      New Zealand
      Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil), Dextrose (Corn), Acidity Regulator (450), Antifoam (900a)
      South Africa
      Potatoes, Vegetable oil (palm), Buffer (E450), Dextrose
      Quite a few variations, I wasn't expecting that!

    • @1boobtube
      @1boobtube 3 роки тому

      @@georgeprout42 now do the mc"rib" sandwich lol.

  • @Yoyotwilight
    @Yoyotwilight 3 роки тому

    Your calm tone in this video in particular, is refreshing.

  • @ZetaDaemon
    @ZetaDaemon 3 роки тому +16

    just a note for the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar reaction, it is actually a reaction between an acid and a carbonate which is why it creates the CO2, yes baking soda is basic but in a standard acid base reaction it only produces water and a salt so no CO2

  • @jamesk7256
    @jamesk7256 3 роки тому +18

    I knew a little bit about baking powder versus soda before, but knew nothing about its history. Thank you for making educational content like this; we definitely need more stuff like this on UA-cam.

  • @BlueDragon1504
    @BlueDragon1504 3 роки тому +60

    6:33 Gotta work on that posture there Adam.

  • @ryanketner2539
    @ryanketner2539 3 роки тому +1

    The perfectly articulated answer to the question I've always had, but was too lazy to research. Thanks Adam!

  • @Zandanga
    @Zandanga 3 роки тому +1

    Love science and love trivia. You make great little food science tutorials. Thanks very much for your work, your time, and sharing neat, cool stuff.

  • @86fuser
    @86fuser 3 роки тому +3

    Italian guy here (from calabria). When you make tomato sauce (anything with tomatoes, really. Just did it with bolognese), a pinch of sodium bicarbonate is the best way to take out the acidity of the tomatoes. Everytime I see people adding sugar I feel terrible :P Perhaps a video on the benefits of this method versus the sugar ? For reference, many italians add sugar too. But hey are simply wrong.

  • @rougenaxela
    @rougenaxela 3 роки тому +3

    3:41 Strictly speaking, you don't need an acid at all to get CO2 from sodium bicarbonate. Heat alone causes it to decompose, releasing gas. At 30C sodium bicarbonate turns to sodium carbonate, releasing CO2 gas and water. At a bit higher temperatures sodium carbonate can also decompose so long as in the presence of enough water. Acids certainly can help it along though.

  • @ericfredrick3235
    @ericfredrick3235 3 роки тому

    I love that you made this video. I was just getting into biscuit making and you've answered all the 'why...?" questions I had been wondering since then.

  • @moneymarty1
    @moneymarty1 3 роки тому +1

    My maternal grandmother's name was Grandma Fox as well...it was Grandpa Fox however who did the baking. We had a family bakery when I was growing up (sorry, no "raised in a bakery" puns), which was operated by Grandpa. Grandma was a school teacher. Typically we would produce 800 or more pies around Thanksgiving. That was so exciting to see all the pie boxes folded in advance - forming a wall behind the counter!

  • @john-os8ei
    @john-os8ei 3 роки тому +126

    Ok adam wtf i laterally just asked my grandma what the difference is and then you make a video about it the next day very suspicious

    • @UserName-tb7vj
      @UserName-tb7vj 3 роки тому +19

      Adam is all our grandmas

    • @IaMaPh1991
      @IaMaPh1991 3 роки тому +4

      Adam is omniscient and omnipresent, didn't ya know?

    • @dandylionsloth446
      @dandylionsloth446 3 роки тому +3

      Maybe your grandmother secretly works with him?

    • @mithipithi6613
      @mithipithi6613 3 роки тому +1

      What did your grandma say?

    • @viddork
      @viddork 3 роки тому +1

      Imagine what might have happened if you'd asked her longitudinally!

  • @Sycatrax
    @Sycatrax 3 роки тому +4

    Weeks of investigations into (fluffy) pancake routes and this one video answered all my questions. Liked and subscribed. Definitely trying the "original" baking soda, too. I achieved very fluffy pancakes but with a heavy B. Soda ratio: 4 tsp of Clabber Girl and no B. Powder and 2.5 cups of flour, and at that rate I did indeed taste a "tangy" metal flavor in the fluff when they were fresh. I will try the Original Professor one and your recipe as well, aiming forevermore for better pancakes.

  • @420blackbirds8
    @420blackbirds8 3 роки тому

    I'm glad I'm always learning something every time i watch your show.

  • @hashali
    @hashali 2 роки тому

    Man! i love your videos! they are so informative on things we take for granted, thanks for the level of detail and the unique topics!

  • @mande11a
    @mande11a 3 роки тому +4

    I love how thoroughly you cover each topic in your video. I'd be interested to see one on what the "organic" label means. Is organic food more nutritious, tasty, or environmentally-friendly than conventionally farmed food? Are organic-approved pesticides less toxic to humans than synthetic pesticides? There's plenty to cover on this topic and I can't be the only one that wants to learn more about what "organic" means.

    • @zoezzzarko1117
      @zoezzzarko1117 2 роки тому +2

      "Organic" labels just mean "this is the lpwest amount of pesticides we can use... and still be called organic. Often the organic farming practices cause other issues not related (or not as much) to standard farming.
      Tbh... the issue lies more w industrial farming and its fast growth, perfect looking food to table outcomes... more than anything.
      Organic is not nearly as important as soil quality and nutrient profile. Depleted soils, force fed w chemical fertilizers... just isn't the same as healthy soil conditions.
      We would be far better off pushing for old fashioned organic soil farming and a balanced ecosystem... than organic crop production.
      😎😊😋🤷‍♀️💖

  • @chrisjacobsen1659
    @chrisjacobsen1659 3 роки тому +49

    I love how people see a compound and immediately think the elements act as if they were not in a molecule (or at least not a singular element). The aluminum in the Sodium Aluminum Sulfate react with the baking soda to produce Aluminum Hydroxide, sodium sulfate, and CO2. Aluminum Hydroxide is proven to have very low toxicity.

    • @kuronoch.1441
      @kuronoch.1441 3 роки тому +7

      Also, aluminum hydroxide is used in some antacids.

    • @hydrothermalworm7778
      @hydrothermalworm7778 3 роки тому +12

      All while chugging a diet pepsi in one hand and chain-smoking Marlboros in the other.

    • @nowonmetube
      @nowonmetube 3 роки тому +4

      Yes it's toxic, as you just said.

    • @MrFerparedes
      @MrFerparedes 3 роки тому +1

      But it sounds scary, so....

    • @louf7178
      @louf7178 3 роки тому +12

      Similar to when I ask people what they think about eating sodium chloride.

  • @COOKINGFROMTHELOFT
    @COOKINGFROMTHELOFT 3 роки тому

    I had been wanting to know!!! What a wonderfully informative (as usual) video Adam!

  • @adalai7649
    @adalai7649 2 роки тому

    Fascinating! I've always known how they work, but never delved into it from a chemist perspective. Thanks!

  • @anujchandkapoor
    @anujchandkapoor 3 роки тому +8

    I am so thankful to you and many other UA-camrs like you who do all the hard work in researching the knowledge and knowhow behind a subject and then painstakingly edit it into a form that is not only interesting to watch but also satisfyingly educational to the mediocre minds like me. Thank you so much adam, this is, as usual, an excellent content worthy of my time and appreciation.

  • @Boyetto-san
    @Boyetto-san 3 роки тому +9

    I always wondered how double action in baking powder works and why the reaction doesn't all happen the moment the baking powder hits the wet ingredients. I never would've guessed that depending on the acid, the powder would have a second reaction at higher temperatures. Very informative.

  • @CRIMINALSareHOT
    @CRIMINALSareHOT 3 роки тому +1

    Fantastic vid. Would love more vids like this that break down the basics of certain ingredients etc. Really great!

  • @JaySolanki91
    @JaySolanki91 3 роки тому +1

    Very informative video! I always got confused between these two. Also it was a great explaination about why we use both baking powder and baking soda in your pancake recipe

  • @tugloo1
    @tugloo1 3 роки тому +57

    Adam, you're posture during those editing clips scares me. You're setting yourself up for neck pain/ wrist pain.

    • @will-dd7ou
      @will-dd7ou 3 роки тому +2

      I’m glad ur worrying about Adam that’s cool i hope he sees your comment

    • @aragusea
      @aragusea  3 роки тому +48

      I was just leaning in to get the headphones and the computer in the same frame. When you start making video content, you realize that lots of things/people have to be closer to each other than they normally would be in real life.

    • @fiveminutezen
      @fiveminutezen 3 роки тому +1

      @@aragusea Might be helpful to try experimenting with different lenses/focal lengths.

    • @aragusea
      @aragusea  3 роки тому +30

      @@fiveminutezen A wide angle would get both me and my computer in the shot, but the logo on the headphones wouldn't be big enough to see.

    • @DMSProduktions
      @DMSProduktions 2 роки тому +1

      Your! You're doesn't make sense!

  • @Default78334
    @Default78334 3 роки тому +3

    Another chemical leavening agent you see around sometimes is sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP). Mostly used in commercial baking, it shows up occasionally in consumer products like Bakewell Cream which is a regional favorite in parts of New England.

  • @haydenwoodworth4445
    @haydenwoodworth4445 Рік тому

    this video was so helpful for my research paper! it was very instructional and kept me interested and focused! thank you so much Adam!

  • @KarniToTheKaz
    @KarniToTheKaz 3 роки тому

    This is great, you post informative videos about stuff I ask myself when I hold the product in my hand but forget to look it up.

  • @martinnyberg8174
    @martinnyberg8174 3 роки тому +5

    What a timely video, Adam. 😀 I've actually been experimenting the past two days with baking muffins without baking powder, by whipping egg whites to stiff peaks and blending into the batter just before baking. I'm guessing that before electric mixers that was the labourious step that baking powder saved you. For me it is just a nice technique, and the result does taste better without all those leavening salts. I bet your American style pancakes could be made that way too. 😁
    By the way, I think you have a second video to make on this topic. Cookies (and Swedish gingerbread, which I'm more familiar with) are baked with baking soda only, no added acid. I suppose that is because the carbonate ion is unstable at higher temperatures and releases carbon dioxide that way. Food chemistry meets physical chemistry. 😀👍

  • @o0Avalon0o
    @o0Avalon0o 3 роки тому +11

    You make it sound so easy! I've been sorting through this exact dilemma myself but with the effectiveness of a bat in a bakery. Thanks for schooling us so hard, lol. I really learned a lot from this episode.

  • @SuperPokekami
    @SuperPokekami 3 роки тому

    Thank you for the concise explanation at the beginning, and what a fun video!

  • @sstanfo1
    @sstanfo1 3 роки тому

    This is the kind of science forward food content I crave from UA-cam cooking shows. I love your content!

  • @Tmanstext
    @Tmanstext 3 роки тому +20

    I love that i already technically knew the answer to the question in the title, yet i still learned so many new things from watching this. Thank you!

  • @ZephyrEmbyr
    @ZephyrEmbyr 3 роки тому +5

    Adam please, I can only handle so many meta 4th wall breaking video editing cutaways
    (Great video as always!)

    • @crosamond
      @crosamond 3 роки тому

      It’s so extra lol

  • @111Phoenix777
    @111Phoenix777 3 роки тому

    Wow!!! There's so much more to this than I ever imagined. Way more information that I was looking for, but it's fascinating to listen to. There's an entire history to this. Thank you for posting this video.

  • @allibee33
    @allibee33 3 роки тому +2

    Here in Canada since 1897, we have had Magic Baking Powder that does not have the aluminum in it. I honestly didn't even know about the addition of aluminum until I watched this video, very interesting!

  • @NoahIsNeon
    @NoahIsNeon 3 роки тому +58

    0:46 Adam after reading the 1000th seasoning joke in the comments

  • @lemonade1316
    @lemonade1316 3 роки тому +15

    I'm loving these 'wtf is ....' thumbnails lol good job Adam

  • @CubicIronPyrite
    @CubicIronPyrite 3 роки тому

    Leavening is critical concept in many recipes, many thanks for the excellent video!

  • @anderson52ma
    @anderson52ma 3 роки тому +1

    An explanation and history lesson. Love it!

  • @wrentheelf2656
    @wrentheelf2656 3 роки тому +19

    About the pancake thing in particular: This is just personal preference and maybe I'm just weird, but personally I wouldn't consider the fluffier pancakes better. I've always liked thin pancakes because syrup wouldn't soak into it and the texture is overall much nicer to me. Again this is just my opinion but I thought to share it since I thought of it.

    • @NeedaNewAlias
      @NeedaNewAlias 3 роки тому +4

      So you like Crêpes. Maybe some French ancestors?

    • @millerrepin4452
      @millerrepin4452 3 роки тому +2

      Opinions aren't welcome on the internet.

    • @judethenekogamer3651
      @judethenekogamer3651 Рік тому +1

      @@NeedaNewAlias the love of crepes is for all cause crepes are delicious i prefer them to pancakes tbh

  • @brycehamm289
    @brycehamm289 3 роки тому +2

    I actually went to a cacao plantation and learned a lot about chocolate, cacao fruit actually has natural vinegar in it and they ferment the beans a lot of the time in the process! Very interesting stuff I learned when I went to the island St. Lucia

  • @idesmarch1
    @idesmarch1 3 роки тому +1

    Adam thank you for keeping the spirit of Good Eats alive! I've been watching cooking shows since a teen and love to learn new things every day!!

  • @shibolinemress8913
    @shibolinemress8913 3 роки тому

    These are the first UA-cam videos I've seen where the sponsor adverts are so smoothly woven into the narrative that they don't feel like annoying interruptions! Great work!

  • @watercressfabrique3333
    @watercressfabrique3333 3 роки тому +31

    The only thing i knew was about the Cream of Tartar

  • @ashypharaoh8407
    @ashypharaoh8407 3 роки тому +6

    Now when someone asks me what the difference is I can say something more than, "They're just different things."

  • @Fenixx117
    @Fenixx117 3 роки тому +2

    I've always wanted to know this
    Thank you!

  • @likwidchris
    @likwidchris 2 роки тому

    recently stumbled across your channel and I wish I'd found it sooner, currently binging my way through.

  • @manaseekulkarni3433
    @manaseekulkarni3433 3 роки тому +7

    I've never baked in my life. Still, I was curious about the difference between them. Your video was so interesting that I want to try baking for fun. Thank you.

  • @guscox9651
    @guscox9651 3 роки тому +8

    i still can't believe there exists an educational high quality youtube channel with a host who isn't vain or sarcastic or even slightly cringy!
    edit: never mind i got to "oh hey you caught me editing again"

  • @AleksandarStefanovic
    @AleksandarStefanovic 10 місяців тому +1

    It's so great knowing the chemistry behind the common cooking ingredients, because you can use that information when improvising in cooking. Also, you can better understand some recipes and why they include sodium hydrogencarbonate and/or baking powder.

  • @s4njuro462
    @s4njuro462 3 роки тому

    This was fabulous, thank you! I've always wondered and the extra historical context will ensure I actually remember what you've taught me

  • @Cherrybride
    @Cherrybride 3 роки тому +41

    Please someone tell me this is the reason why the giant says: “Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman, Be he alive, or be he dead. I'll grind his bones to make my bread.”

    • @ghostlobster2365
      @ghostlobster2365 3 роки тому +14

      I did a cursory look into things and as far as I can tell the make my bread part of the rhyme is older than the use of animal bone to make baking powder. It's more likely the use of english bones is either nonsensical or maybe referring to adding more nutrients to a bread. The rest of the poem is also mostly nonsensical, besides the first line which actually may have a Gaelic translation that was lost as the rhyme was repeated over many centuries.

    • @jbtechcon7434
      @jbtechcon7434 3 роки тому +3

      Okay... This is the reason why the giant says: “Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman, Be he alive, or be he dead. I'll grind his bones to make my bread.”

    • @emilyk9074
      @emilyk9074 3 роки тому +2

      You might find this helpful www.quora.com/Would-grinding-bones-actually-help-one-make-bread-or-is-that-just-whoever-wrote-Jack-and-the-Beanstalk-making-stuff-up

  • @nickmorgan19457
    @nickmorgan19457 3 роки тому +12

    Finally, I know the secret to my grandmother's county-famous piss bread!
    I have some parishioners to apologize to now.

    • @DMSProduktions
      @DMSProduktions 2 роки тому +1

      NOoooooooooooo! LET them squirm! Piss bread FTW!

  • @katokhaelan4881
    @katokhaelan4881 3 роки тому

    Dude, for real, thank you. this was outstanding and I always wanted to know

  • @briancherry8088
    @briancherry8088 3 роки тому

    You answer all of the questions I never thought to ask questions for, but desperately needed to know in hindsight.

  • @joelzusein
    @joelzusein 3 роки тому +31

    Therapist: Shaved Adam doesn‘t exist, he can‘t hurt you
    Shaved Adam:

  • @jacobreed8747
    @jacobreed8747 3 роки тому +110

    who's here keeping track of adam's shaving habits

  • @codydaniel3097
    @codydaniel3097 3 роки тому

    Adam, I absolutely love your videos!! I'm no chef but I'm learning a lot from you!

  • @liamfoley3876
    @liamfoley3876 Рік тому

    What a great man to give us an explanation like this

  • @arandomkooki3132
    @arandomkooki3132 3 роки тому +3

    White wine report:
    There was no white wine seen in this video
    This is the end of the white wine report

  • @ren.67
    @ren.67 3 роки тому +5

    This is the kind of question I ask myself at 3am and when I actually use them, I forgot about it.

  • @DeRien8
    @DeRien8 3 роки тому

    Already knew the basics of this, but I also knew your video would be an interesting expansion

  • @BaconNEggzGaming
    @BaconNEggzGaming 3 роки тому

    This was a very good chapter of Kenji's book. Very intuitive to think about something more deeply, than when you just let it be when reading a recipe with those ingredients in it.

  • @NotKnox24
    @NotKnox24 3 роки тому +25

    I have a feeling Adam is getting buffer and more body builder like..

    • @superspeederbooster
      @superspeederbooster 3 роки тому

      he is cutting carbs and good for him.

    • @zedan7064
      @zedan7064 3 роки тому

      i would too if i was eating his delicious food

    • @MondeSerenaWilliams
      @MondeSerenaWilliams 3 роки тому

      @@zedan7064 he mostly eats refrigerated baked tilapia and cauliflower rice.

    • @Safouan0
      @Safouan0 3 роки тому

      @@MondeSerenaWilliams Only when he's trying to slim down, lol.

    • @Nerdykid95
      @Nerdykid95 3 роки тому

      and he's rocking the farmer's tan too!

  • @Am-Not-Jarvis
    @Am-Not-Jarvis 3 роки тому +5

    "You could say that these urine-free biscuits lack the same sort of tart aftertaste, but it's a fine substitute. Long live the Empire."

  • @piercehacquard4747
    @piercehacquard4747 3 роки тому +1

    Might have a bad cable somewhere in your set-up. Some audio static going on. Love these lecture videos by the way, very competently researched and presented.

  • @Anewyou1337
    @Anewyou1337 3 роки тому +1

    Watched the 5 part "18th century Breads" by Townsend and Sons (highly recommended for anyone interested in culinary history) and only briefly mentioned baking powder at the end as part of it and was curious what happened next. Glad I got that answered somewhat. Thanks Adam!

  • @TheDevelo
    @TheDevelo 3 роки тому +17

    Just want to make a minor, probably meaningless, correction: The reaction of an acid and a base does not necessarily produce carbon dioxide. There are many bases that don't do that. NaOH, also known as lye, doesn't, as when you react it with an acid (lets say HCl), the H from the acid reacts with the OH from the lye to form water, leaving over a salt (in this case, NaCl).
    The reaction of an acid and a base produces carbon dioxide only when the base involves carbonate (CO3) or bicarbonate (HCO3). When an acid reacts with bicarbonate, it forms H2CO3, which then decomposes into water and carbon dioxide. For carbonate, reacting an acid with it forms bicarbonate, which then reacts again.
    All the bases you've listed as used for leavening are either carbonates or bicarbonates. Obviously baking soda aka sodium bicarbonate is a bicarbonate. Baker's ammonia isn't straight ammonia (I'd imagine using ammonia for any kind of cooking would be hard considering it's a gas), but instead ammonium carbonate (which funnily enough is also used as smelling salts). And while you said lye was used as a leavening agent, I couldn't find an evidence of it being used that way in my own research (probably because it can't be used that way). Instead I think you confused it for pearl ash, potassium carbonate, which is made from lye.

    • @aragusea
      @aragusea  3 роки тому +9

      Indeed, which is why I said "an acid like vinegar and a base like baking soda," as opposed to a base unlike baking soda. And regarding lye, yes, I said later in the video that it was refined into pearl ash. There is also evidence of it being refined into potash and used as a leavener.

    • @nicholasmaslonka4011
      @nicholasmaslonka4011 3 роки тому +5

      @@aragusea bruh this dude poured his heart out writing 14 paragraphs to explain why he believes Adams wrong and Adam just goes, "no"

    • @PowerUpTo360
      @PowerUpTo360 3 роки тому

      Adam Ragusea Thanks for the video Adam!

    • @aragusea
      @aragusea  3 роки тому +7

      @@nicholasmaslonka4011 I mean, not "no." His comment obviously reveals flaws in my writing. I could have been clearer. But I also think he's being pedantic.

    • @bloodgain
      @bloodgain 3 роки тому +19

      @@aragusea People who are good at chemistry are always pedantic. To be otherwise is likely to get you in big trouble in the lab before long.

  • @tonyhollerz6958
    @tonyhollerz6958 3 роки тому +18

    People don’t understand how things are made on a molecular level. Table salt is made from sodium and chlorine (sodium being a highly reactive metal, and chlorine being toxic). We need some metals to keep healthy many of which are reactive some of which will fizz, catch fire, or explode in water. Such examples of these metals we need are potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, sodium. We get these in our diet in stable compounds and our body digests the food extracting what it needs. Adam is right aluminium isn’t dangerous as such but too much can be bad.

    • @SunnySalasar
      @SunnySalasar 3 роки тому +4

      For a sane human being it's impossible to acquire acute aluminum poisoning in any way, no food, no medication, nothing has enough aluminum to allow for that.
      Many compounds from really toxic things can be safe, if they're biologically inert, this includes several forms of even lead and quicksilver, including even medical application.
      Lead(II) acetate has touched millions of nipples, tens of millions of crotches, cunts and dicks, since ancient times it has been used against asthma.
      Tho Lead acetate and carbonate are poisonous
      books.google.de/books?id=jttCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA168&lpg=PA168&dq=biologically+inactive+pb+lead&source=bl&ots=eDhK48V_af&sig=ACfU3U2KOj8xPVx5lmGbapvMo-CtE3VmMA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjrx5SH277qAhXfWxUIHcjBBp8Q6AEwAXoECA4QAQ#v=onepage&q=biologically%20inactive%20pb%20lead&f=false
      the majority of all Lead in nature is biologically inactive and virtually all poisoning happens from artificial products.
      Just for an example with aluminum, to have acute toxicosis you need to ingest about 60-150 grams of pure and biologically active aluminum, this means the base, if it was a salt it'd be a bunch more due to the molecular amount of halogens, tho a few salts are not halides.
      www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016201341000125X#:~:text=A%20biological%20function%20for%20aluminum,are%20associated%20with%20pathological%20conditions.
      Our body also requires and is built around having certain aluminum levels and most people, who do not suffer from a kidney disease, will be absolutely unable to have any special bad interactions or long term effects from aluminum.
      There|s many compounds which adher to "inert pair" effect, which is dominant in inorganic and organic lead chemistry.
      www.britannica.com/science/lead-chemical-element/Properties-of-the-element
      tl;dr
      It's lead ions that kill.
      Also why is Adam calling a base an acid?

    • @tonyhollerz6958
      @tonyhollerz6958 3 роки тому

      SSakv sorry mate can you give a time stamp for the acid-base mistake?

    • @tonyhollerz6958
      @tonyhollerz6958 3 роки тому

      SSakv also thanks for the comment and links💙

  • @mrnormietron4186
    @mrnormietron4186 3 роки тому

    I never thought that a video about leavening agents would be so entertaining, nice job!

  • @davidcookmfs6950
    @davidcookmfs6950 3 роки тому

    I learned the 2 parts cream of tarter, and one part backing soda and one part corn starch method when I was in the fifth grade when I took a cooking class at a community college. I remember being told to put it in last right before it goes in the oven. I have used it ever since. That being said, really informative video. I had no idea that there was such a huge conflict over it.