Herbal Milk with Sugar Free, Herbal Tea Jelly, Color-changing Jelly, Quinoa Multigrain Toast, Chocolate & Coffee Curry... On the third floor of North Campus Canteen of Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT), 13 dishes were laid out in order. Students were enthusiastically introducing their dishes to the judges. This scene, which looks like an innovation exhibition in food industry, is the final exam for the Food Chemistry Course at GTIIT.

Instead of complicated written tests, there is no boring data or dull formulas here, just eye-catching creative dishes. The Food Chemistry class combines knowledge and data calculation into cooking. Students work in groups to create daily dishes and make posters showcasing their products' preparation, innovation, nutritional components and storage conditions.

“Our group mixed high-gluten wheat flour, rye flour, cooked quinoa, chickpea flour and quinoa flour in proportion to make this handmake quinoa multigrain toast, which has a low glycemic index and is high in fiber, meeting modern dietary needs,” Tan Zhenyuan said. “Traditional ratatouille uses western spices, but after several tests, we found that traditional Chinese spices like star anise and cinnamon leaves can also create an equally harmonious flavor,” said Chen Yizhou.

“I hope you can enjoy innovating and have fun in the final test,” said Associate Professor Yigal Achmon, the course instructor. He noted that as a science and technology university, it’s essential to develop students’ hands-on skills. Making innovative food design part of the final exam allows students to apply what they’ve learned, propose their ideas, challenge themselves, and create something new.

As the basic class for students in Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Food Chemistry guides students to understand food in nutrition, functional, industrial and money wise as well. It progresses from basic organic chemistry into much more complex of amino acids nutrition value.

“This is a very interesting course where students learn a lot about what’s inside food. For instance, if you want a good chocolate, there is only a certain type of a shape of crystal like it, called five number five, that will give the chocolate the right texture. All the other types of crystal of the cocoa butter fat will give something horrible. Or to learn about the fact that all when we are born with enzymes that digest certain sugar in the milk like dog, with time these enzymes start to disappear in everyone. I will tell students how we can change this simple lactose with a simple reaction to create milk that now everyone can drink,” said Associate Professor Yigal Achmon. He added that the course serves as an introduction for younger students to the food field, where they start hands-on experiments and get a basic understanding of biology, before delving into more advanced topics such as biotechnology and gene sequencing in their future studies.