Tannin is a surprising substance, present in all plants (although some contain it in a higher percentage). Once extracted, it finds useful applications in many sectors, from leather tanning to cosmetics, from the food industry to agriculture. Let’s get to know...
Medieval manuscripts are made with a blue-black ink to which tannins are no stranger: from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, our inks were prepared with tannin! Let us begin by recalling the love affair between tannins and metals: tannins, in fact, bind to...
In the last article of this column, we discussed about the colored leaves on the trees. However, in autumn, these leaves turn brown and fall to the ground. Have you ever wondered why dead leaves turn brown every year? When a fruit, for example, an apple is injured,...
Trees in autumn turn into bright colors, yellow or red, not only because chlorophyll disappears, but also because of tannins. In nature, many compounds of the falling leaves are destroyed and recovered, such as chlorophyll. But leaves also accumulate tannins: taste a...
Have you ever tasted a young wine that left you with a rough, dry mouthfeel? Have you ever experienced this sensation on a persimmon, an underripe fruit, or tasting an edible wild plant? This phenomenon is called astringency. Well, astringency was the moment when you...
The Tannins.org project is enriched by a prestigious collaboration involving Marc-André Selosse, one of the leading specialists on tannins. A well-known biologist and mycologist, he collaborates with famous universities in France, Poland, Brazil and China. He teaches...
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