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,…
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 take a brief look at their composition, and also at some chemistry tips that can help with cooking them!
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 the C&EN site where you can view the graphics created for their magazine.
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.
As we took a look at the complex chemistry of bread-making last week, this week it seemed to make perfect sense to look at some of the chemistry that results from putting the end result of that process into the oven! There are a host of compounds that contribute towards baked bread’s aroma; here we take a look at a selection of them, how they are formed, and what they contribute.
Blackcurrants and cat urine. Two things you probably wouldn’t expect to have a whole lot in common, if anything. However, to some, blackcurrants and blackcurrant bushes can have a distinct smell of cat urine, and the chemistry behind this strange phenomenon reveals an unexpected link between our unlikely combination of protagonists.