Steeped: The chemistry of tea – with author Michelle Francl | Webinar

Tea is the world’s most popular beverage with billions of cups being drunk each day worldwide. Tea contains hundreds of different chemical compounds which contribute to its colour, taste and scent – and its stimulating effects. The best-known is caffeine, but why does the plant make caffeine in the first place? What other mood-altering substances are found in a cup of tea?

In this hour-long, interactive webinar focussing on the book Steeped: The chemistry of tea, author and chemist Michelle Francl will dive with you into a cup of tea to discover the rich molecular brew that can be extracted from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant.

Beginning with the leaves, Michelle will explore the chemistry behind the production and infusion of different styles of tea, from green teas to pu’erh. Michelle will pull out some of the advice from Steeped which uses chemistry to offer advice on how to brew a better cup. Should you agitate the tea bag? Why do you get a weird film on your tea when you make it in the microwave and how can you get rid of it? What influence does the shape of the tea bag have on the final cup? And, of course, Michelle will tackle the age-old question of when, or even whether, to add milk.

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