Transforming Raw Ingredients

We need to take into consideration the initial material properties of the raw ingredients themselves and acknowledge that they will usually change over time. After all, they are derived from living organisms and can be broken down or altered by the action of enzymes, microorganisms, and a number of chemical reactions, or the evaporation of some of their water content or volatile components. Catching or harvesting, storing, and curing the raw ingredients before transforming them into food in the kitchen becomes either a race against time to preserve freshness or a matter of judging how long to keep them to allow their taste substances to develop fully.