The Inner Spice Editorial Archive
Culinary Science Journal & Guides
Investigative gastronomy exploring lipid chemistry, thermal boundaries, and kitchen equipment. Written by practicing chefs without marketing platitudes.
Kitchen Gear 10 min read
Cast Iron & Carbon Steel: The Chemistry of Polymerized Oil Seasoning
Seasoning is not grease. It is an ultra-hard, glass-like plastic formed by free-radical cross-linking of polyunsaturated fatty acids baked past their smoke point onto porous cast iron.
Chef Mei-Ling ChenAugust 18, 2026
