How to cut potatoes so that it is perfectly fried
'19.12.2022'
Source: Medialeaks
Students from a British university conducted a real study on the subject of cooking potatoes. They figured out how to quickly and correctly cut it into four parts, so that later there were no problems with roasting. It turned out that there is a more effective way than simply holding a knife horizontally and vertically on a vegetable, as almost everyone in the world does, writes Medialeaks.
Students in the Hospitality Management Department at the University of Essex found a new way to cut potatoes before roasting or baking. They conducted the present study and applied knowledge from the course of trigonometry to substantiate an entertaining but logical discovery: when cutting potatoes into typical four pieces, it is not fried as well as when cut into triangles, if the latter is made in a special way. This is, of course, not experiences from the series “how much you need to drink in order to dance well”, but also a very useful exercise.
To understand their method, you do not need to be a scientist yourself. Everything becomes logical when looking at the drawings with marks - although the basics of geometry will not hurt to know. As an example, a potato was taken in 5 centimeters wide and 11,5 centimeters long, which was cut into four parts by the standard method - students claim that even British chefs use them.
Two movements with a knife, horizontally and vertically, and as a result we get four relatively equal pieces. Now mathematics deals with it: the total area of the inner surfaces of the potato to be roasted is 26 π. Each piece in length and width will be half the corresponding values of the whole potato.
Remember this number and cut the potato again - also into four parts, but in this example the vegetable will be cut into triangles. All of them come from one part of the potato, and, in fact, students suggest simply cutting the potato in half and then cutting each half diagonally at an angle close to 30 degrees.
The results should be clear from the previous picture, but the numbers say much more. With an alternative way of cutting the chef gets a new straight line - the diagonal. And it radically changes the size of the fried potato surface - now it is long and thin pieces. And the total area of the inner surfaces of the potato is now 52,9 π.
The difference in the total amounts of areas to be fried (do not forget about the external surface of the potato) is even greater - with the alternative method, the pan will come in contact with 65% more parts of the potato.
The motive for the study of students was the video recipe of the famous British chef and host of his own cooking show Heston Blumenthal. In it, the cook, like many, sliced potatoes in the traditional way, but the students did not like his method. In a video call, they urge Heston to test their discovery in practice and give a review of the recipe. And so that the celebrity noticed the students, they tagged him on social networks.
