# Strange hypothetical: oxygenless cooking

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hypothetical-oxygenless-cooking/1023644>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** food-cooking\
**Created:** [October 3, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hypothetical-oxygenless-cooking/1023644 "2025-10-03T16:10:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hypothetical-oxygenless-cooking/1023644/1 "2025-10-03T16:10:33Z")

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Inspired by the “Maxwell House” thread, it occurred to me to wonder if roasting coffee beans actually means slightly scorching them so they’re partially burnt or if it’s a caramelization reaction based on polymerizing some compounds and breaking others down. IOW, wrt cooking in general what needs oxygen to work and what doesn’t?

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**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hypothetical-oxygenless-cooking/1023644/2 "2025-10-03T16:12:02Z")

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It’s not strange at all. It’s the basis of sous vide.

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hypothetical-oxygenless-cooking/1023644/3 "2025-10-03T16:13:12Z")

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Maillard reaction  
As far as I know, it does not require external oxygen so should work in an oxygenless environment however the presence of air can affect the flavors created.

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**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hypothetical-oxygenless-cooking/1023644/4 "2025-10-03T18:32:23Z")

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> [@Cervaise](#):
>
> It’s the basis of sous vide.

I’d say it’s closer to canning.

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**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hypothetical-oxygenless-cooking/1023644/5 "2025-10-03T18:50:31Z")

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Ceviche is cooked in lemon juice only, does that make it oxygenless?

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**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hypothetical-oxygenless-cooking/1023644/6 "2025-10-03T19:59:26Z")

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Acid cooking is the chemical process where the acid breaks hydrogen bonds in the protein of the food, denaturing the protein. Heat in thermal cooking does the same thing to the same vulnerable hydrogen bonds. Neither is an oxidation effect and can occur in an anoxic atmosphere.

> **[Protein: acid denaturation](https://www.ifst.org/lovefoodlovescience/resources/protein-acid-denaturation)**
>
> How can you “cook” fish without heating it?

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**Author:** ![anny\_m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@anny\_m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anny_m)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2025, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-hypothetical-oxygenless-cooking/1023644/7 "2025-10-04T04:14:18Z")

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Is deep-fat frying oxygenless?