
Why Do Onions Make Us Cry?
Why do onions make us cry every time we cut them — and why does cooking them make the problem disappear completely?
About 70% of people experience significant tearing when cutting onions, and no matter how many you've chopped over the years, the reaction doesn't get easier. In this episode, Jen, Chris, and Matt unpack the full chemistry behind one of cooking's most universal frustrations. They explore the two-enzyme system inside every onion, the volatile compound it produces, the sulfuric acid that forms on your cornea, and why some people are hit far harder than others. They also look at…
The skinny
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