16. English tea and cyclic compounds 🇬🇧

This drink was adored by the emperors, it was drunk by the nobles, but also by the common people. And because of tea, there was also a rebellion known as the “Boston Tea Party” in Boston. The history of tea is as rich as its taste. As for its chemical composition, there are also various chemical compounds, such as cyclic compounds. The main ingredients of tea are purine alkaloids – heterocyclic compounds, such as caffeine, theophylline and theobromine, tannins – polyphenols and simpler phenolic compounds such as catechin and its derivatives. Unlike caffeine in coffee, caffeine from tea breaks down slowly in the body, so that a person remains awake and focused, but not irritated. That’s why tea is an excellent drink for both mental and physical activity. Tannins are most responsible for the sharp and bitter taste, as well as the strength of the tea. The best types of tea have the most tannins. The aroma of tea comes from the aromatic resinous essential oil that occurs during fermentation. And don’t forget, if you’re in England, with some milk, to experience the taste of traditional tea drinking at exactly five o’clock.

English tea and cyclic compounds (lesson plan)