Are Flavour Compounds Relatively Unreactive?
- Bryan Le
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Subreddit: r/AskChemistry
User: u/RibbitRibbitFroggy
Original Post:
It occurred to me while cooking that when we put cumin (for example) into something, we still expect it to taste like cumin. Even if it's boiling in an acidic solution with loads of other stuff for an hour or more. Obviously cooking involves many reactions, but we still expect cumin to taste like cumin, paprika to taste smokey, etc. And are there any ingredients that don't taste like much/taste bad until they cook and react and are transformed into something tastier?
My Response:
Yes. Meat. Or more specifically, reducing sugars and amino acids. They have some taste, but it’s mostly one-noted, or even bitter. But when they are cooked together, they undergo the Maillard reaction, which is the major source of flavors for many foods. Baked goods. Coffee. Caramel. Chocolate. Milk ingredients. Roast meat. Roasted vegetables. Fried chicken. Etc.
Most fermented foods, especially solid state (like miso, cured ham, or cheese) undergo some slower form of the Maillard reaction.
But many of their Maillard flavor formation reactions are accelerated by the enzymes released by the microorganisms living in them.
Most savory flavors wouldn’t exist or would be highly muted without the Maillard reaction. Think about the difference in taste between dough and bread. Maillard byproducts are highly reactive, being as most are nitrogenous compounds or aldehydes. They don’t last very long, especially if there’s some source of biological activity, like during spoilage.
Dr. Bryan Quoc Le is the Founder and Principal Food Consultant of Mendocino Food Consulting. He earned his Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and his B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine. He currently lives in Mendocino, California with his wife and two dogs.
Are you working on a new food or beverage product? Interested in working with me and my team to get started?
Click on the button below to get in touch and set up a meeting today!
