Compound Interest
Bell peppers come in a range of hues, from fresh greens to vibrant reds. Chemical pigments are behind these, but what changes to cause peppers to travel through this spectrum of colours? Here we take a look at the compounds behind the colours (as well as some pepper aroma chemistry) – and find that peppers […]
Happy Canada Day to all of our Canadian readers! To celebrate, here’s a brief look at some of the different chemicals in maple syrup.
It’s reaching that point in the year where warm weekends mean it’s time for barbecues out in the sun. Here’s a topical graphic, featured last year in C&EN, looking at the chemistry behind barbecuing food, and the compounds behind the smoky taste and flavour. Click here to see the full graphic!
As the chemistry of chocolate is a topic that’s been pretty much exhausted on the site (see here, here, here, here, and here), for the Easter weekend we’re instead homing in on the ‘egg’ side of Easter Eggs. For such a simple staple of the kitchen, the chemistry of eggs is surprisingly complex. Here we […]
You may well already know that a Compound Interest graphic appears monthly in the American Chemistry Society’s ‘Chemical & Engineering News’ magazine. However, I’m aware that not everyone who subscribes to the site updates here may have realised, and therefore might be missing them! Therefore, from this month onwards, I’ll be posting the links to […]
You likely use it on a regular basis to season meals, but have you ever wondered what’s behind the pungency of black pepper? Here’s a short addition to the occasional Everyday Chemicals series which takes a look at the chemical responsible, piperine, and some of its other surprising uses.