CHEMISTRY OF TEA ELEMENTS

GREEN TEA
TEA
All processed tea, no matter
which varietal or process, has
both soluble and insoluble ele-
ments. The insoluble elements A cup of green tea also includes stimulants
include crude fiber, cellulose, caffeine, theobromine, theanine, and theophyl-
line. Other elements in green tea include the-
lignin, proteins, fats, chloro- ogallin, quinic acids, minerals; carotenoids and
phyll and pigments, pectins, monomeric flavonols
and starches. The soluble ele-
ments include vital oxidizable
polyphenols, other polyphenols,
amino acids, minerals (ash),
gummy matter and the stimulants
theine, theobromine, theophyl-
line and caffeine.
The polyphenols are
beneficial elements along
with Vitamin C, a vitamin
typically impacted by
heat. However, heat does
not appear to destroy vit-
amin C in tea when brewed
in green or oolong teas
infused under 176 degrees
F. There are small, nearly
negligible amounts of oth-
er vitamins including B1
and B2, K and P, niacin,
folic acid and manganese.
Black tea, however, con-
tains little or no vitamin
C because the complete ox-
idation destroys it during
processing. Black tea is a
good source of potassium
and contains about 58mg
per cup.
contains more of its chemical
elements, particularly its six
main polyphenols, which in
clude flavanols, flavandiols, fla
vonoids and phenolic acids. The
bulk of polyphenols in green tea
are flavonols (aka catechins).
OOLONG TEA
has a unique flavonoid, ool
onghomobisflavins, and like
green tea, catechins are high:
monomeric catechins,
theaflavins and
thearubingins. Other ele
ments found in oolongs are
epigallocatechin esters, theasinensins, dimeric
catechins and dimeric proanthocyanidins. Oth-
er polyphenols in oolongs include flavanols,
depsides, theogallins and theanine (an amino
acid unique to tea which contains 20 amino
BLACK TEA
contains thearubigens; other
elements include theaflavins .
The full oxidation process also
changes the chemical ele
ments and one result is the c
reation of bisflavanols, a re
sult from the flavanols under-
going polyphenol oxidative polymerization, and
oligomers.
TEA ADDITIVES
Adding sugar or artificial sweeteners
does not appear to change the chemistry
of tea, however lemon and milk can. The
polyphenols in all tea bind with iron
and calcium and thus prevent these min-
erals from being absorbed, however,
adding lemon juice inhibits this bind-
ing and makes the minerals available
for the body to use; lemon juice added
to black tea will increase iron and
calcium solubility and absorption in
the body. Lemon slices or lemon juice
should not, however, be used when
drinking tea from Styrofoam cups be-
cause the polystyrene will be dissolved
into the tea liquid.
Milk in green and oolong teas have not
been thoroughly studied, however milk
in black teas has. Chemists have dis-
covered that a few tablespoons of milk
will not interact with the 70% of oxi-
dized polyphenols, which may explain
why milk in black tea calms the stom-
ach. However, if too much milk is add-
ed, it will interact with the 30% of
unoxidized polyphenols and may irritate
the stomach. Like everything in life,
chemical changes have many exceptions,
so use your own judgment whether milk
added to black tea is good or not for
you.
 Chocolate
Chip Cookie
Recipe
 3/4 cup granulated sugar
(sucrose, C12H22O11)
 3/4 cup brown sugar
(caramelized sucrose)
 1 cup unsalted butter (a
fat)
 1 large egg (consists of
water, protein,
fat, emulsifier, and albu-
min)
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(for flavor)
CHEMICAL REACTION
INVOLVES IN BAKING
 GLUTEN FORMATION
Wheat flour, the most commonly used type of flour in
baking, is composed largely of starch and protein, with
very high levels of a class of protein known collectively
as gluten. When water is added to wheat flour, the
gluten forms a heavy, pliable mass. This expands great-
ly under hot temperatures and sets with the desired
airy texture.
 LEAVENING AGENTS
Baking soda reacts with acids in the dough to make
carbon dioxide, which helps the dough to rise. Baking
powder, which is baking soda with an additional acid-
ic salt, releases carbon dioxide twice during the bak-
ing process, once when it hits water, and again when
it reaches a certain temperature in the oven. Heat
helps baking powder produce tiny bubbles of carbon
dioxide, which make a cake light and fluffy. When
yeast, a single-celled fungus that feeds on starch and
sugars, is added to dough, it also releases carbon di-
oxide bubbles, giving the dough a light, delicate tex-
ture.
 BROWNING REACTION
Sugar does much more than just sweeten a cake.
When the baking temperature reaches 300 degrees
Fahrenheit, sugar undergoes what is known as a Mail-

BuckeTEA
RAIRA SAN JOSE. AUDREY NICOLE GERMANO.
CARLA JADE HERNANDEZ.JAMES DANIEL BASCO.
GABRIEL ROMULOS NADREZ.
:BuckeTEA
 2-1/4 cups all-purpose
flour (contains gluten)
 1 teaspoon baking soda
(sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3,
which is a weak base)
 1/2 teaspoon salt (NaCl)
lard reaction, a chemical reaction between amino
acids, proteins and reducing sugars. The result is
browning, which forms the crust of many baked
goods, such as bread. The Maillard reaction is not the
same as caramelization, but both work together to
create appetizing golden-brown surfaces and an array
of flavors. Sugar also provides a direct food source for
yeast, enhancing the yeast's activity.
 EMULSIFICATION AND BINDING
Eggs in a cake mixture may fulfill one or more of
three functions. Beaten egg white is used, like bak-
ing powder, to give the dough a light, fluffy con-
sistency. This is possible because egg white
(albumen) contains lecithin, a protein that coats the
air bubbles created during beating, which stops the
cake from sinking during baking. ILecithin also acts
as a binder to hold the cake together. When egg is
used as a glaze, it also acts as a source of protein for
the sugar's Maillard reaction.

;@BuckeTEA