What makes smoky, charred barbecue taste so good? The chemistry of cooking over an open flame
- Written by Kristine Nolin, Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Richmond

The mere thought of barbecue’s smokey scents and intoxicating flavors is enough to get most mouths watering. Summer is here, and that means it is barbecue season for many people in the U.S.
I am a chemist who...