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Swetha Sivakumar

Swetha Sivakumar

Articles by Swetha Sivakumar

Cold truths: Does food taste better after a night in the fridge?

Zoom into a refrigerated curry at the molecular level and nothing is still. The moving molecules can make meats more aromatic the next day and salads soggy. (Shutterstock)

Updated on Jun 5, 2026 14:03 IST

A fond adieu: Swetha Sivakumar writes on her column, Sound Bites

Eat well. Be kind to yourself. And remember, sambar served the next day is just as nutritious and flavourful. Not everything we’ve always done needs to be done the same way. (Shutterstock)

Updated on Jan 31, 2026 14:38 IST

Swish set: Swetha Sivakumar brushes up on nail polish

(Adobe Stock)

Updated on Jan 17, 2026 10:30 IST

Air apparent: Swetha Sivakumar on the clever science behind air-fresheners

A really good air-freshener can do more than infuse a space and mask odours; it can target odour molecules too.

Updated on Dec 13, 2025 12:58 IST

Twist and pout: Swetha Sivakumar on the history of lipstick

Red has, through the centuries, been a favourite shade.

Updated on Nov 15, 2025 11:42 IST

On the sunny side of the street: Swetha Sivakumar decodes SPF

Woman with a Parasol (1875) by the French impressionist Claude Monet. For most of settled history, the rich only sporadically spent time outdoors. (Wikimedia)

Updated on Nov 1, 2025 11:30 IST

Foam improvement: Swetha Sivakumar on the history of toothpaste

The Dentist (1629), a satirical painting by Dutch artist Jan Miense Molenaer. In pre-industrialised Europe, there was no anaesthetic yet, and treatment was largely limited to gouging and tugging extractions performed by medicine men. (Wikimedia)

Updated on Oct 17, 2025 11:16 IST

Rice, with a side of weaponry: Swetha Sivakumar on hidden talents of foodgrains

(Images: Adobe Stock)

Updated on Oct 4, 2025 10:38 IST

Sound Bites: Swetha Sivakumar on the history of refrigeration

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), just under 38% of Indian households, for instance, owned a refrigerator as of 2019-21. (.)

Updated on Sep 20, 2025 09:04 IST

A heated argument: Swetha Sivakumar writes on induction cooktops

They can be noisy, and they only work with certain grades of metal, but induction cooktops have come a long way. They don't even cost much more than a gas range today. (Shutterstock)

Updated on Sep 6, 2025 06:39 IST

Here we go a grain: Swetha Sivakumar on the origins and superpowers of quinoa

Once associated with ‘backwardness’, quinoa has only recently been rebranded as ‘proud Inca food’ in the Western world.

Updated on Aug 23, 2025 11:04 IST

Tricks of the treat: Swetha Sivakumar unwraps the science of candy

Every new ingredient or texture, element of crackle or chewiness, presents a fresh challenge. Moisture, meanwhile, threatens to seep between ingredients and change the game. (Adobe Stock)

Updated on Aug 9, 2025 08:11 IST

Modern conflict, ancient lore: Swetha Sivakumar traces the tale of acai

Purple acai pulp in a smoothie bowl. (Pexels)

Updated on Jul 26, 2025 08:51 IST

Toy story: Swetha Sivakumar on the tussles over kitchen appliances

Swetha Sivakumar with some of her toys: a panini maker, small grinder, food processor, electric pressure cooker, egg poacher, air fryer, two blenders and a small chopper.

Updated on Jul 12, 2025 09:10 IST

Tsampa, puffed ragi, agar agar: Swetha Sivakumar on trying new ingredients

How strange is too strange? That’s a subjective question. Agar-agar, for instance, can be used to make these, errr..., interesting fruit jello cakes. (Pixabay)

Updated on Jun 27, 2025 11:22 IST

Smooth operators: Swetha Sivakumar on blenders, ice and the age of the smoothie

For decades, blenders couldn’t handle ice. The Vitamix kicked off a revolution and, today, smoothie-makers have blades made of aircraft-grade stainless steel that can reach speeds in excess of 25,000 rpm. (Adobe stock)

Updated on Jun 14, 2025 11:05 IST

Crystal maze: Swetha Sivakumar writes on the mystery of clear ice

(Images: Adobe Stock)

Updated on May 17, 2025 08:19 IST

The anti-rot police: Swetha Sivakumar on how produce stays so fresh these days

(Adobe Stock)

Updated on May 10, 2025 09:55 IST

More than you can chew: Swetha Sivakumar explores extreme food records

Where do you draw the line?: Shaggy and Scooby-Doo.

Updated on Apr 19, 2025 11:24 IST

How does one perfect a staple? Swetha Sivakumar’s go-to recipe for aloo-beans

The no-fail aloo-beans. ‘It’s been such a success, my daughter said I could make it every week,’ says Sivakumar.

Updated on Apr 12, 2025 12:29 IST

Too many cooks? I’d say too few: Swetha Sivakumar on the perils of video recipes

(Freepik)

Updated on Apr 12, 2025 10:12 IST

Wrap album: Swetha Sivakumar digs into the history of food liners

Wax paper keeps all humidity out so effectively, it is still used to wrap sandwiches and cheese. (Adobe Stock)

Updated on Mar 29, 2025 09:57 IST

A shot in the arm: Swetha Sivakumar writes on the penicillin pushers

Spores of a penicillin fungus. (Adobe Stock)

Updated on Mar 15, 2025 10:13 IST

Glowing with possibilities: Swetha Sivakumar decodes phosphorus

Phosphorus, in Greek, means ‘bringer of light’. Large stores of it lie trapped in Earth’s mantle, and have leaked onto the surface via volcanic activity, particularly in the early years, as the planet cooled. (Adobe Stock)

Updated on Feb 21, 2025 15:51 IST

Time for some palm readings: Swetha Sivakumar on the coconut tree

At Khao Sok National Park, Thailand. At full maturity, the coconut kernel is 50% water, 33% oil, some protein and carbs. But, also trapped within, is air. Because the fruit needs to be able to float.

Updated on Jan 18, 2025 13:36 IST

On death roe: Swetha Sivakumar on the cruelty of caviar

(Adobe Stock)

Updated on Dec 14, 2024 10:30 IST

Butter together: Swetha Sivakumar writes on nut-based spreads

Nutella, a hazelnut-based spread, was inspired by an ancient Italian recipe - and turned the Ferrero family into magnates of the confectionary world. (Adobe Stock)

Updated on Dec 7, 2024 10:09 IST

Rich pickings: Swetha Sivakumar takes a look at ‘designer’ fruit

Today it seems absurd that pineapples were once prized fruits, but look closely and the legacy endures: an intricate, tiny replica of a pineapple still sits atop the Wimbledon men’s singles trophy. (Getty Images)

Updated on Nov 9, 2024 14:12 IST

Sear factor: Swetha Sivakumar, on the science of charring

It isn’t a baingan bharta if the eggplant doesn’t start out roasted, the skin crackling and peeling away on an open flame. (Adobe Stock)

Updated on Oct 26, 2024 10:46 IST

Spinning straw into gold: Swetha Sivakumar on saffron

(Adobe Stock)

Updated on Oct 12, 2024 10:10 IST

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