Mechanics-based model for the cooking-induced deformation of spaghetti.

Goldberg, Nathaniel N; O'Reilly, Oliver M · Phys Rev E · 2020

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

In this article, we propose a minimal model for the cooking-induced deformation of spaghetti and related food products. Our approach has parallels to the use of rod theories for the mechanics of slender bodies undergoing growth and is inspired by a wealth of experimental data from the food science literature. We use our model to investigate the cooking of a single strand of spaghetti confined to a pot and reproduce a curious three-stage deformation sequence that arises in the cooking process.