Bonds in the Kitchen

Everyday chemistry from the stove and the sink

Rohan Bhattacharya2 episodes2 min of audio51 playsEpisodic

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S1 · E2Sep 1, 20260:4735 plays Preview

The Science of Sticky Rice

Two kinds of starch decide whether your rice is fluffy or clumpy. Rohan explains amylose and amylopectin, why rinsing matters, what the pressure cooker changes, and why leftover rice turns hard in the…

S1 · E1Feb 2, 20260:4616 plays Members

Why Onions Make You Cry and Garlic Does Not

Rohan explains the sulfur chemistry that starts the moment a knife breaks an onion cell, why chilling the onion helps, and why garlic, a close cousin, goes a completely different way.

About the show

Bonds in the Kitchen is a weekly show about the chemistry you already do without noticing. Rohan Bhattacharya, a chemistry teacher from Kolkata who ran an industrial lab before the classroom, picks one household moment per episode, such as why onions make you cry, why rice sticks, how soap actually lifts grease, or what the smell of rain is made of, and explains the molecules behind it in twenty-five to thirty-five minutes. The format is solo explanation with a weekly listener question read out and answered at the end. Rohan uses Indian kitchens as his lab bench, so expect tempering spices, pressure cookers and chai to appear often, but the chemistry is universal. There are no equations to memorise and no safety lectures, just a patient teacher who thinks the periodic table is more fun when it is on your plate. For home cooks, students and anyone who has ever asked why.

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