Scientists have teamed up with renowned chefs including Heston Blumenthal in a bid to find the perfect dish, for a study published yesterday.
Pete Barham, who has worked "extensively" with Blumenthal, argues in his paper that the cooking style dubbed "molecular gastronomy" - in which chefs apply scientific principles to the kitchen - should be taken as a more serious discipline.
Prof. Barham, from the University of Bristol, said: "To me, a kitchen is just like a science laboratory and cooking is just another experimental science.
"To understand what it is that makes one dish delicious and another not, we need to consider not only the choice of ingredients and how they were grown, the manner in which the food was cooked and presented, but also the environment in which it was served and the mood of the diners.
"All play a part in our enjoyment of food and there are valid scientific reasons why each affects the final result." In the study, Prof. Barham, along with colleagues from Denmark and South Africa, brought together strands of chemistry used increasingly in the kitchen to provide a basis for further developments in the area.
Prof. Barham, who has published his research in journal American Chemical Society, found that unique combinations of textures and flavours, developed through the application of chemical and physical techniques in restaurant kitchens, have led to a new enjoyment and appreciation of food.
The research will go further to try to pinpoint why this brings so much pleasure to diners.
The study will involve understanding branches of the chemical sciences, including the use of agrochemicals in the way food is produced, chemical changes that occur during harvesting, packaging and transport to market, and during processing and cooking.
Prof. Barham added: "Taken to its extreme, it should be possible to quantify just how delicious a particular dish will be to a particular individual. Thus, in the future, it may be possible to serve different variations of the same dish to your dinner party guests so that each has their own uniquely enjoyable experience."