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.
The Science of Sticky Rice
0:00 / 0:47
Sample the first 60 seconds free. Sign up free or log in to hear the whole episode.
Show notes
Two starches, one pot
Basmati stands apart grain by grain, while sushi rice holds together on purpose. The difference is the ratio of two starch molecules, one a straight chain and one a bush. Rohan explains what happens when hot water gets into the grain, why rinsing changes the result, and what the fridge does overnight.
- Amylose and amylopectin, the straight chain and the bush
- What rinsing really removes
- Pressure cookers and the temperature of starch
- Why cold rice goes hard and fried rice loves it
- Listener question on reheating and resistant starch
Next episode is soap, and how a molecule with two moods lifts grease off a plate.
Transcript
Welcome back to Bonds in the Kitchen, I am Rohan Bhattacharya. Last week we cried over onions, today we argue about rice. In my house, rice must be separate grain by grain. In my Japanese colleague's house, rice that falls apart is a failure. We are both right, and the reason is two molecules of starch that behave completely differently when hot water arrives. I will explain the straight chain and the bushy one, what rinsing takes away, what a pressure cooker does that a pot cannot, and why rice that was perfect at dinner turns to pebbles in the fridge. There is a bonus for anyone who makes fried rice, because the pebbles are the secret. A listener from Chennai asks about reheated rice and health, and I have a careful answer. You are listening on Witspeak Podcasts.
Open as text