The science of flavor: Understand the Maillard reaction

If you’ve ever compared a friend’s meal to an atomic bomb, maybe the joke wasn’t entirely wrong, especially if what went wrong was banoffee pie. Our kitchens are true experimental laboratories where physics, chemistry, biology and even art are constantly tested.

Its golden color, irresistible smell, yeast fermentation, distillation, emulsions and many other processes, lounge Culinary experiments that you or someone close to you develop every day. Do you know what reaction you should be grateful for when the crust of your bread or even your meat turns brown? Maillard!

Learn a little more about the relationships between science, cooking, and how the art of donut frying works. We recommend that you read it with a soft drink of your choice and toast with jam.

Maillard in the kitchen: The science behind the taste of food

The Maillard Reaction was first described in 1912 by French physician and chemist Louis-Camille Maillard. Who told you what happens when foods containing carbohydrates are heated?.

He observed that when heating these foods, groups of amino acids and reducing sugars initiate the browning process, but these are triggered not by enzymatic processes but by the degradation of the proteins present in this delicacy.

However, beyond the desirable browning of meat and pasta, the reaction also causes changes in the taste and odor of these foods as it stimulates rearrangement in molecular structure triggered by processes secondary to heating, such as the development of melanoidins. those that give the brownish color and volatile odor particles such as ketones and aldehydes.

Although it is often compared to the caramelization process because of the color it allows in foods, The Maillard Reaction is something different. However, the two events can occur “at the same time” when there is more sugar in the food or preparation.

Benefits, risks and applications in the food industry

Anyone who has smelled and then tasted a Sunday barbecue or a batch of bread knows how to appreciate the benefits of the reaction: a very attractive golden color, an almost irresistible scent and a soul-warming taste.

With this in mind, the food industry puts great effort into processing carbohydrate-rich foods, ensuring taste and beautiful appearance. However, the taste of ultra-processed foods can be quite bitter for your health.

At high temperatures above 120 °C, the same foods that are susceptible to the Maillard Reaction can produce acrylamide, a compound considered carcinogenic. However, without despair, studies were conducted on animals and in extremely high quantities.

You can continue to eat your grilled bread, fries and the like, but always remember that moderation is the key to maintaining everyone’s health.

Are taste and taste the same thing?

The science of cooking is not just about the Maillard Reaction, it’s also about how we combine smells, flavors and preparation methods, and this has a lot to do with the science within us as well. For example, Five basic tastes; sweet, salty, sour, bitter and the famous umami (delicious).

The science behind these tastes is linked to the amount and presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, salts, acids, among others, in foods. These substances stimulate the taste buds on the tongue, allowing you to recognize what you are eating.

For food experts, taste and aroma are two different things. While taste is linked to the elements and substances found in food, flavor is something created through sensory experimentation..

All of your senses are involved in this task to create flavor, allowing your brain to find references in the known repertoire to distinguish what you are eating. The senses most stimulated in this sensory game are the senses of smell and taste.

So, if you don’t know how to create these flavors by stirring, using the Maillard Reaction, using the Leidenfrost Effect, caramelizing, or creating the magic of mixing water and oil, there’s a good chance your culinary experience will go wrong.

In fact, there are many seemingly harmless items that can cause a big problem in your kitchen. For example, did you know that wheat flour can explode and cause a fire? So be careful when creating and reproducing crazy recipe experiments in the kitchen.

So will there be a Maillard Reaction at lunch, afternoon coffee or dinner? Repeat this experiment and tag us on our social networks. We all have a little bit of a scientist and a chef. Until later!