Can Caramel Flavor Exist in Savory Foods?
- Claire Lee
- Mar 17
- 2 min read
Caramel is often described as toasty, warm, and as most people assume, cloyingly sweet. Its flavor forms through the process of caramelisation, when sugar molecules are heated and decompose, reacting with the surrounding air and moisture. Depending on the type of sugar, the temperature at which caramelisation begins varies. For example, fructose is found primarily in fruits and sucrose is found in cane sugar - one caramelises at 230 ℉ while the other does so at 320 ℉.
This is partly because sucrose—a polysaccharide—needs to decompose into glucose and fructose before undergoing the caramelisation reaction. On the other hand, fructose undergoes the same reaction immediately once reaching 230 ℉.
Some resulting byproducts of the reaction—caramelans, caramelens, and caramelins (not the same!)—are large molecules that create the characteristic brown color. Others are small aroma molecules such as diacetyl, furan, maltol, and ethyl acetate that give caramel its buttery, nutty, toasty, and fruity notes.
But this caramel flavor is not exclusive to sweets - it can also form in savory dishes. Vegetables with high sugar content, including carrots and onions, can be caramelised when heated with a fat at the correct temperature. Cast iron pans are especially ideal for this because of their high heat retention. By adding caramelised vegetables to dishes, even venison can have caramel flavor!
A similar process resulting in a brown color and enticing flavors is known as the Maillard reaction. This reaction depends the combination of amino acids, proteins, and sugars in the dish, while caramelisation only requires sugar alone to occur. Despite this distinction, both reactions can occur simultaneously to create delicious, complementary flavors.
Claire Lee is a junior at Leigh High School in San Jose, California. She is currently a student researcher for miRcore, a non-profit working to democratize medical research for all. She has worked in a confectionary shop and is interested in baking and chocolate.
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