Are you a science nerd, but you love to cook? Or maybe you are a cook and you wish you knew more about the chemistry of food.
If so, the new book “Why Does Asparagus Make Your Pee Smell” is for you.
Author and chemist Andy Brunning offers, as the subtitle suggests, “Fascinating Food Trivia Explained with Science.”
Despite the bathroom humor of the title, this book really does offer some great insights into what’s behind our physical reactions to foods.
He answers questions such as: Why do onions make you cry? How do energy drinks work? Why does bacon smell so good? Why does cilantro taste soapy to some people? Do bananas help other fruit ripen quicker?
The easy-to-understand answers come with a brief introduction to organic chemistry, charts and illustrations.
“Food plays a huge part in our everyday lives, but we hardly ever stop to think about the science behind it,” Brunning writes in the introduction of the book, which is published by Ulysses Press. “The aim of the book is to look at the quirky and sometimes downright weird properties that food and drink can exhibit, and explain in simple terms the chemistry that leads to them.”
Brunning address a range of topics.
Flavors: Why do artichokes make drinks taste sweeter? What do dill and spearmint have in common? What causes the bitterness of coffee?
Aromas: Why do beans make you fart? What causes blue cheese to smell so strong?
Colors: Why do potatoes turn green? Why do avocados go brown so quickly?
Poisons: Can mixing drinks make your hangover worse? Why are some mushrooms poisonous?
Sensations: What causes the pungency of wasabi? Why does mint make your mouth feel cold?
Mind: Does eating turkey make you sleepy? Why do the stimulant effects of tea and coffee differ?
Health: Why are some people allergic to nuts? Why can’t you eat grapefruit with some medications?
So why does asparagus make your pee smell?
The acid in asparagus is broken down by digestion into sulfur-containing compounds, which make one’s urine, well, stinky.
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