This paper will attempt to show others the differences and similarities in food preparation due to differences in altitudes. Accordingly, this paper will explore the adjustments necessary to cook in different locations and at different elevations. This paper is of interest to me because I live at an elevation of over 10,572 feet. The backs of boxes do not indicate changes of this type. This also interests me because I have a joy for being in the kitchen.

Topic

National Standards
Introduction
Sea Level
Timberline
In-between
Range vs. Oven
Conclusion
Bibliography

National Standards:

A group of parents, educators, business people, and organizations has developed a list of standards for educators to use as a reference in order to make the United States internationally competitive (14, p 9). These standards should apply to this paper and to all geography related topics.

Three standards have been chosen to focus the attention of this paper. The first one is number six; "Knows and understands that culture and experiences influence people’s perception of places and experiences." This applies because there will be a different perspective on cooking for those who live in low altitudes than to those who live at higher ones. The second one that applies is number 14; "Knows and understands how the earth’s physical and human systems are connected and interact." It is because of the physical surroundings that the human system of cooking is altered. Finally, number 18: "Knows and understands how to apply geography to interpret the present and the future." This standard is used to show that at present there are still a lot of experiments to complete, so that perhaps in the future we will be better prepared to adjust to higher elevations.

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Introduction:

As the twenty-first century is rapidly approaching people have a lot on their minds; wars, shortages of fuel leading to higher gas prices, possible computer crashes, and who will be the prominent leaders, among other things. This paper is designed to allow the reader to escape into the world nearly everyone enjoys, eating.

Food is required to sustain life. Even small children know that fact; however, not everyone knows that food also has emotional and psychological effects. Food is the source of security, satisfaction, hospitality, and status (1, p 8). Involved in the last of these, status, is a large element of social interaction and acceptance. Accordingly, the area in which a person lives is one of the largest factors determining the eating habits a person develops (1, p 2).

A major precursor in eating food is preparing it. Some foods such as fruits and vegetables need very little preparation. An apple for example needs only to be cut and washed before eating. While some people may prefer the apple cut, that is an option and is not necessarily required. Nevertheless, other types of food require more preparation, namely to be cooked. Consider a piece of chicken. If this chicken is not properly cooked it can be very harmful to people. It can cause Salmonella (1, p 49). Other foods such as potatoes are not harmful when they are raw; neither do they have much flavor. It is because of this that there are so many ways to prepare them; boiled, baked, fried, french-fried, scalloped, mashed, au gratin, hash browned and salad to name a few.

As previously noted, the area in which people live helps to shape the way that they eat and how they prepare the food they have chosen. There are multiple countries in the world and each of them has slightly different habits. Unfortunately, there is not enough room in this paper to examine all of them. Instead this paper will focus on different types of food in the Untied States of America. More specifically, it will explore the changes that have to be made as one moves form sea level (Gulf-Coast, Texas) to timberline (Colorado Rockies).

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Sea Level:

In cooking, and for the purposes of this paper, the sea level region is the lowest elevation. This category ranges from 0-3,000 feet in elevation (3). In this range recipes do not require adjustment.

At sea level the boiling point of water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit (2). A potato will be used to compare this elevation range with the others. A potato that is cut and placed in boiling water will have to be there for 20-25 minutes in order to become tender (5). During this time additional water must be added frequently to prevent boiling dry as a result of rapid evaporation (11).

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Timberline:

Unlike people at sea level who can cook from cookbooks, and people in "high altitudes" who can cook with minimal adjustments, professionals sometimes leave people who live in the timberline range helpless. There are far greater heights than 6,500 feet where the adjustments stop. When cooking is not involved, high altitude is considered to be 8,000-12,000 feet (5). This cooking range will be defined as the timberline range.

The timberline range is the other extreme. In this range cooking changes drastically. In Fairplay, Colorado, elevation 10,572 feet, potatoes can take up to an hour to boil before they acquire the desired tenderness (6). Other towns in the timberline range have similar cooking times.

Everything takes longer to cook, from beans to pancakes. The air is substantially thinner in this range which would require higher baking temperatures in "high altitude" directions (11). Unfortunately, this range also requires a lot of experimentation. The 1-800 numbers on recipes do not provide additional information to compensate for the additional difference in elevation (6).

Living at almost 11,000 feet can be a challenge to anyone who has a desire to cook. Contrary to "high altitude" adjustments, timberline baking does require a wee bit more time. Batters and doughs need more structure. Accordingly, more flour must be added. Then to counteract the additional flour, more oil and water must also be added. The final batter or dough will be a little bit more runny than before. However, the combination of the changed batter and a reduced oven temperature over a slightly longer time will produce finished products that are equal to those cooked in lower elevations (13).

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In-between:

Between the extreme elevations of sea level and timberline falls the elevation deemed "high altitude" in most recipes. This range in elevation extends basically from 3,500-6,500 (2). As previously noted, there is a difference in the way potatoes cook. In Denver, elevation 5,280, potatoes require 30 minutes of boiling before they are tender (7). Just two thousand miles higher in Buena Vista Potatoes take 40-45 minutes to become tender (8). "Potatoes are eaten less frequently here because they take longer to cook [than at sea level]" (10).

Baking is also effected in this range. Since the air is thinner the batters and doughs rise more rapidly, thus effecting the texture of the finished product. Betty Crocker recommends using bigger pans to allow for swell and increasing the oven temperature 25 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent cakes from falling and breads from becoming dry because they have over-risen (10). Others have recommended reducing baking powder and sugar and increasing the liquid (3).

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Range vs. Oven:

It is important to note that while there are significant changes in stovetop (range) cooking, there are little to no differences when cooking in the oven (11). The potato that changed drastically from sea level to timberline remains constant when baked in the oven. Despite elevation changes, the potato must bake for an hour in the oven. This is true in Gulf-Coast Texas, Denver, Buena Vista, and Fairplay, or from sea level to timberline (12).

Notice that this seems to contradict some of the above recommendations for batters and doughs. These are the exception. It is not so much the oven temperature that is effected; it is the rapid rise of certain foods due to thinner air (10). Foods that do not rise will not be effected when cooked in the oven, for example a casserole.

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Conclusion:

There are a lot of differences in cooking on the stove as one changes in elevation. Times and temperatures vary significantly from sea level to timberline. It is important to be familiar with the area where the cooking is to be done. Patience and practice will lead to a beautiful dish, prepared just the way you like it.

A greater awareness is needed on behalf of the manufacturers to aid those who live in the timberline and "high altitude" areas. Along with a change in altitude comes a number of variables such as temperature, cooking times, added ingredients, etc. Someday perhaps these will all be clearly documented and available to people living at different elevations.

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Bibliography:
1.  Bennion, Marion. Introductory Foods. Columbus: Prentice Hall, 1995.
2.  http://www.howstuffworks.com/question63.htm (05 April 1999).
3.  http://www.cccomm.net/cookingtips.htm (05 April 1999).
4.  Franck, Linda Mae. "RE Amber." Personal Email (10 April 1999).
5.  http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/altitude.html (05 April 1999).
6.  Isham, Meloney. "Fairplay." Personal Email (11 April 1999).
7.  Severe, Sue. "RE Cooking in Denver." Personal Email (12 April 1999).
8.  Lindahl Linnette. "Buenie." Personal Email (11 April 1999).
9.  Newton, Beth. Conversation about cooking (27 December 1998).
10.  Crocker, Betty. "bag 04/07/99-1878." BettyCrocker@mail.genmills.com(07 April 1999).
11.  http://www.breadworld.com/tips/baking/altitude.asp (06 April 1999).
12.  Combined information from sources 4, 7, 8, and 6.
13.  Information gathered through personal experimentation over the past several years.
14.  Geography for Life, National Standards, 1994
 
 
 

Created 4-27-99

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