Liquid nitrogen (LN2) boils at -196°C — the coldest substance in common culinary use. Its primary application in cooking is rapid freezing, which produces ice crystals too small to damage food cell structure (unlike conventional freezing, which forms large ice crystals that burst cells on thawing). The result: ice cream with a smoother texture than any conventional churning achieves, flash-frozen herbs that retain their colour and flavour, and a range of theatrical presentations — tableside ice cream, smoking cocktails, flash-frozen garnishes.
Modernist Cuisine