Maillard vs. caramelization
Above about 140°C (285°F), amino acids from protein react with sugars. The result is hundreds of savory, roasty flavor compounds. That's why a seared steak smells nothing like raw beef.
Caramelization
Table sugar starts to caramelize near 160°C. It turns amber and tastes nutty and a little bitter, not just sweet. Pull it at deep amber, because a few more seconds make it burnt.
Water blocks browning
Water holds food at 100°C until it boils off, and both reactions need much more heat. So dry the food, use a hot pan and leave space between pieces. Wet onions steam. Dry, uncrowded ones brown.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
You heat plain sugar, with no protein at all, until it turns amber. Which reaction browns it?
Caramelization. Sugar browning from heat alone is caramelization. It starts near 160°C.
True or false: A dry food surface browns faster than a wet one.
True. Water holds the surface near 100°C. Only after it evaporates can the surface pass 140°C.
What went wrong? You pile a whole bag of sliced onions into one pan. They steam and go limp instead of browning.
The pan was too crowded. Crowded onions release water faster than it evaporates, so they steam near 100°C.
Fill the blank: Maillard browning needs sugars plus amino acids, and amino acids come from ___.
Maillard browning needs sugars plus amino acids, and amino acids come from protein. Protein is built from amino acids, which react with sugars to brown.
A steak crust tastes savory and roasty, while amber caramel tastes sweet and bitter. What best explains the difference?
Steak also contains amino acids. Amino acids reacting with sugar make savory compounds. Caramel has only sugar.
