In science lessons you will learn that metals and non-metals form salts through ionic bonding. We all use salt in cooking, to flavour our food. Why not read some fun facts about preparing and cooking food before learning all about the chemistry of salt!
Archaeologists have evidence that cooking dates back 1 million years, but it is believed it could have started 2 million years ago! It is only humans who use fire or heat to cook food. However, we are not the only animals to prepare food! The sous chefs of the bird world would be shrikes, otherwise known as the butcher bird. They will place poisonous grasshoppers on thorns, and leave them until all the toxins have broken down. Or how about Capuchin monkeys – they leave palm nuts in the sun to dry, making it easier for them to crack the shells!
We all associate chefs with the chef’s hat! But have you any idea where it came from? There are many different suggestions. Some believe hats were worn by chefs as early as the 7th Century – signifying status. Legend says that chefs were given crown-like hats to make them feel special, and prevent them form poisoning kings who were mistreating them! At the time, chefs were considered learned men, as they could read( in order to learn new recipes), when many could not. This led to persecution, and chefs took refuge in church, wearing monks’ outfits – including caps. Some say these caps evolved into the chef’s hat.
Another tale indicates that King Henry VIII actually beheaded a chef after finding a hair in his dinner. His replacement chef, very wisely, was instructed to wear a hat while cooking! Apparently the hat is white, because it was believed to be the most hygienic colour.
Traditionally, the height of the hat, and how many pleats the hat has are significant. The height indicates how important the chef is. The taller it is – the more important the chef is. The pleats represent how many recipes a chef has mastered. Years ago, a chef had 100 pleats to show he knew 100 ways to cook eggs.
GCSE scientists – you need to be able to explain which salts are made when metal and non metal ions form salts through ionic bonding. You also need to be able to describe the structure and properties of these ionic compounds. In addition you must explain why they have these properties. If you need some help, check out our new “How to work with Ionic Bonding: Part 2” guide. It covers these areas, and includes questions for you to try, along with answers to check your understanding.
Click on the picture below to see the guide.
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