It was Nicholas Kurti and Hervé This who first coined the term molecular gastronomy. The two men were physicists, not chefs, but by applying scientific knowledge to cooking, they developed a host of new techniques, from foams and flash-freezing to spherification and dehydration.

Once the preserve of top chefs like Heston Blumenthal and Grant Achatz, these techniques are now becoming more accessible for the home cook.

Want to try it for yourself? Popular sushi restaurant Beluga is selling molecular kits so you can conduct your own gastronomic experiments to show off at dinner parties. The kits contain chemicals like calcium lactate, sodium alginate, soy lecithin, xantham gum and agar agar (required for techniques such as spherification), as well as the essential tools like syringes, silicone tubes and pipettes. The kits also come with a DVD introducing the techniques and featuring 26 recipes.

This July, we are giving away one kit a week (enter here). If you aren’t one of the lucky winners, you can buy a kit on special for R450 instead of R695 (during July). There will also be a 50% markdown on refills for the kit and molecular master classes. Find out more on their website.