Hops

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hops

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific classification?Genus: Humulus, Species: lupulus
2. What is the historical precursor ingredient?Gruit, a mixture of various herbs and flowers
3. What are hops and why are they used in drinks?Hops are flowers that give drinks a tasty bitterness and help keep them fresh. The plant’s cones contain special acids and oils that add flavor and protect the drink from spoiling.
4. How do hops make beer taste bitter?When hops are boiled, their alpha acids change into iso‑alpha acids, which give beer its characteristic bitterness. The amount of bitterness is measured in International Bitterness Units (IBUs).

Dioecious: Having separate male and female plants, as is characteristic of the hop plant.
Lupulin Glands: Tiny glands on hop cones that contain bittering and aromatic compounds.
Phytoestrogen: A plant-derived compound that mimics the effects of estrogen in the body.