A Cup of Chemistry. The mysterious Wilhelmina Green ; What this book is about ; What this book is not about ; An incredibly brief history of tea ; Chemistry lessons ; Chemistry TL;DR ; A slightly longer course in chemistry ; Chemistry's big ideas ; How to read a chemical structure : or what do molecules really look like anyway? ; Decoding chemical names ; Molecules in the mirror ; Pouring the big ideas into a teacup ; Further reading -- Reading the Tea Leaves. Tea is a work of art ; Wither or not? ; Bruised and battered: Enzymatic oxidation ; Killing the green: Hitting the off switch ; Maillard's reaction ; Shaped and dried ; Microscopic chemists: the making of fermented pu'erh teas ; White and yellow teas ; From the leaf to the cup ; Brewing a better cup ; Further reading -- The Drug in the Cup. A stimulating beverage ; An atom's eye tour of caffeine ; Molecular locks and keys ; Adenosine: A molecular on/off switch ; Blocking the signal to sleep ; Caffeine and humans: It's complicated ; From cup to receptor: Brewing a dose of caffeine ; Pharmacokinetics or why am I still awake at midnight after having had tea at 4? ; Side hustles ; Can you get addicted to caffeine? ; What does the plant get from caffeine? ; Making tea without caffeine ; Beyond caffeine ; Brewing a better cup ; Further reading --
The Taste of Zen. A joy and a delight ; A molecular inventory ; Reading the tea leaves ; A taste of zen ; A potent wizard ; Molecular zen: L-Theanine ; The power and peril of oxygen ; Catechins: Can you catch them all? ; Molecular chameleons ; Bitter dregs: Other alkaloids ; Fluoride is in more than your toothpaste ; Metals and minerals ; Tea is radioactive and so are you ; Organic acids and Vitamin C ; Insects are a feature not a bug ; Brewing a better cup ; Further reading
The Agony of the Leaves. Extracting what you want ; Making a cup of tea ; Tea is mostly oxidane ; "Tea you have not": Time and temperature ; Hotness levels ; A little agitation is a good thing ; Tea grown cold ; Exhausted leaves get a second wind ; Tea in an instant ; Brewing a better cup ; Further reading
Sugar and Spice. Spicing up a cup ; Milk ; Milk or tea first? ; A taste of honey ; Naturally sweet: Sugars ; Sweet surprises ; Tiny proteins ; Molecular love triangles ; Chai: Tea can be hot in more ways than one ; Tea. Earl Grey. Hot ; Drink this with a grain of slat ; Lemon ; Brewing a better cup ; Further reading
Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. The technology of tea ; What comes between you and your tea: Teabags, balls, and baskets ; Objects of desire: What do I want in a teapot? ; Getting into hot water ; Keeping tea cozy ; Brewing a better cup