Course Schedule and Catalog

Department: College Courses

Meeting: 7:00PM - 7:50PM T (12-JAN-2026 - 24-APR-2026) 

Part of Term: Full Term - No WL Purge

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Course Type: Seminar

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Method of Instruction: Face to Face

Credit Hours: 1

 

Section Max Enrollment: 19

Section Enrolled: 19

Waitlisted: 8 (Max 99) 

Current members of the waitlist have priority for available seats.

Enrollment data as of: 25-NOV-2025 1:39AM

 

 

Final Exam: No Final Exam

 

Description: Asian beverages have journeyed from traditional tea houses and street vendors to cafés and franchises around the world, carrying with them layers of chemistry, culture, and history. This course asks a central question: How can a single drink embody both scientific complexity and cultural meaning? Students will focus on five iconic Asian beverages: Chinese oolong tea (乌龙茶), Japanese matcha (抹茶), Taiwanese bubble tea (珍珠奶茶), Thai iced tea (ชาไทย), and Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê sữa đá). Through biweekly tasting labs, they will analyze flavors, aromas, and textures while investigating the chemistry of tea extraction, milk emulsions, sugar transformations, and tapioca gelatinization. Alongside these hands-on sessions, students will complete short written and video-based assignments on how these drinks are marketed, adapted, and globalized. Readings will cover the history and globalization of tea and coffee, films and media will illustrate how these drinks appear in popular culture, and guest demonstrations such as a Japanese tea ceremony will bring cultural practices into the classroom. The course culminates in a final project where students design and present their own beverage creations, integrating scientific insight with cultural context, along with a blind tasting competition that tests their ability to evaluate, compare, and articulate sensory experiences across diverse taste profiles.