The crusts of most breads, such as this brioche, are golden-brown mostly as a result of the Maillard reaction.
The Maillard reaction (/maɪˈjɑːr/my-YAR; French:[majaʁ]) is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars to create melanoidins, the compounds which give browned food its distinctive flavor. Seared steaks, fried dumplings, cookies and other kinds of biscuits, breads, toasted marshmallows, and many other foods undergo this reaction. It is named after French chemist Louis Camille Maillard, who first described it in 1912 while attempting to reproduce biological protein synthesis.[1][2] The reaction is a form of non-enzymatic browning which typically proceeds rapidly from around 140 to 165 °C (280 to 330 °F). Many recipes call for an oven temperature high enough to ensure that a Maillard reaction occurs.[3] At higher temperatures, caramelization (the browning of sugars, a distinct process) and subsequently pyrolysis (final breakdown leading to burning and the development of acrid flavors) become more pronounced.[4]
The reactive carbonyl group of the sugar reacts with the nucleophilic amino group of the amino acid and forms a complex mixture of poorly characterized molecules responsible for a range of aromas and flavors. This process is accelerated in an alkaline environment (e.g., lye applied to darken pretzels; see lye roll), as the amino groups (RNH+3 → RNH2) are deprotonated, and hence have an increased nucleophilicity. This reaction is the basis for many of the flavoring industry's recipes. At high temperatures, a probable[5] carcinogen called acrylamide can form.[6] This can be discouraged by heating at a lower temperature, adding asparaginase, or injecting carbon dioxide.[5]
In the cooking process, Maillard reactions can produce hundreds of different flavor compounds depending on the chemical constituents in the food, the temperature, the cooking time, and the presence of air. These compounds, in turn, often break down to form yet more flavor compounds. Flavour scientists have used the Maillard reaction over the years to make artificial flavors, the majority of patents being related to the production of meat-like flavours.[7]
^Maillard, L. C. (1912). "Action des acides amines sur les sucres; formation de melanoidines par voie méthodique" [Action of amino acids on sugars. Formation of melanoidins in a methodical way]. Comptes Rendus (in French). 154: 66–68.
^Chichester, C. O., ed. (1986). Advances in Food Research. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research. Vol. 30. Boston: Academic Press. p. 79. ISBN 0-12-016430-2.
^Bui, Andrew (2017-09-29). "Why So Many Recipes Call for a 350-Degree Oven". Tasting Table. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
^"Here's How to Sear a Steak to Perfection". Home Cook World. 2021-09-06. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
^ abTamanna, N; Mahmood, N (2015). "Food Processing and Maillard Reaction Products: Effect on Human Health and Nutrition". International Journal of Food Science. 2015: 526762. doi:10.1155/2015/526762. ISSN 2314-5765. PMC 4745522. PMID 26904661.
^Tareke, E.; Rydberg, P.; Karlsson, Patrik; Eriksson, Sune; Törnqvist, Margareta (2002). "Analysis of acrylamide, a carcinogen formed in heated foodstuffs". J. Agric. Food Chem. 50 (17): 4998–5006. doi:10.1021/jf020302f. PMID 12166997.
^Danehy, James P. (May 19, 1986). Chicester, C.O. (ed.). "Maillard Reactions: Nonenzymatic Browning in Food Systems with Special Reference to the Development of Flavor" (PDF). Advances in Food Research. 30. Academic Press: 107. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
The Maillardreaction (/maɪˈjɑːr/ my-YAR; French: [majaʁ]) is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars to create melanoidins, the compounds...
study of kidney disorders. He also became known for the "Maillardreaction", the chemical reaction which he described in 1912, by which amino acids and sugars...
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aldehydes. Reducing sugars react with amino acids in the Maillardreaction, a series of reactions that occurs while cooking food at high temperatures and...
some fermented beverages, such as champagne. Fructose undergoes the Maillardreaction, non-enzymatic browning, with amino acids. Because fructose exists...
discoloration with no graduation of color as is found in the shroud. The Maillardreaction is a form of non-enzymatic browning involving an amino acid and a...
caramel flavor. Like the Maillardreaction, caramelization is a type of non-enzymatic browning. Unlike the Maillardreaction, caramelization is pyrolytic...
Sachs in the 1980s Maillardreaction Mallard (disambiguation) This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Maillard. If an internal...
reasons:[citation needed] The browning creates desirable flavors through the Maillardreaction. The appearance of the food is usually improved with a well-browned...
at a high speed, producing a crisp layer via browning reactions such as the Maillardreaction. Some product reviewers find that regular convection ovens...
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chemical reaction with the amino acids in the dead layer on the skin surface. One of the pathways is a free radical-mediated Maillardreaction. The other...
roast aroma and flavor from a chemical process called the Maillardreaction. The Maillardreaction only occurs when foods reach temperatures in excess of...
that are formed when sugars and amino acids combine (through the Maillardreaction) at high temperatures and low water activity. They were discovered...
garlic, with the dark color arising from a long-term, low temperature Maillardreaction. The cloves turn black and develop a sticky date-like texture. Bacterial...
to young people. As an AGE, the reaction pathway that leads to glucosepane formation is known as the MaillardReaction, or non-enzymatic browning. Glucosepane...
pan-seared to brown its surface and enhance its flavor (through the Maillardreaction). If the food will not produce enough liquid of its own, a certain...
an unrefined sugar beet derived sugar which has been subjected to Maillardreaction and caramelization. A common misconception is to consider this is...
rebranch with α-(1,6) bonds to the degraded starch molecule. See also Maillardreaction. Dextrins are white, yellow, or brown powders that are partially or...
A slightly caramelised flavor results from the high heat process (Maillardreaction), and it is slightly darker in colour than fresh milk. The evaporation...
determines its quality. Many reactions occur among the components of miso, primarily the Maillardreaction, a non-enzymatic reaction of an amino group with...
believe it is a byproduct of the Maillardreaction. In fried or baked goods, acrylamide may be produced by the reaction between asparagine and reducing...
Amadori product. The reaction is associated with the amino-carbonyl reactions (also called glycation reaction, or Maillardreaction) in which the reagents...
original Shroud, they are irrelevant to the age of the image area. The Maillardreaction is a form of non-enzymatic browning involving an amino acid and a...
caramel. Similarly, the heating of sugars and proteins causes the Maillardreaction, a basic flavor-enhancing technique. An emulsion of starch with fat...
The browning is caused by the caramelization of sugars and the Maillardreaction. Maillard browning occurs when "sugars break down in the presence of proteins...
produced by degradation of various sugars. In foods, it is formed by the Maillardreaction. It reacts further to form other compounds with various aromas. As...
of the pathways involves free radicals at one of the steps of the Maillardreaction, distantly related to the browning effect when a cut apple slice is...
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