2023-07-23 18:53:00
Because they are cooked, will you tell me? Yes, that’s true, but what characterizes the more pronounced flavor is above all the Maillard reaction.
By Sophie Hienard In this “smashed burger”, the steaks are so fine and grilled that they concentrate all the flavors allowed by the Maillard reaction. © Mariana Silvestre / Shutterstock / Shutterstock / Mariana Silvestre Published on 07/23/2023 at 6:53 p.m.
What is the difference between raw zucchini and fried zucchini? One is appetizing, the other is not. We could have tried the same sentence with a stalk of celery, but it’s obviously not good either way.
Between the two courgettes, apart from the cooking, the so-called Maillard reaction occurred. A process at the origin of the development of flavors, that is to say the olfactory, taste and tactile sensations that occur during the tasting of a food.
READ ALSODoes pasta really come from Italy? This reaction is known as “nonenzymatic protein glycation” in chemistry (but we take the name of the scientist who found it, Louis-Camille Maillard, because otherwise it’s impractical). It is visually characterized by food coloring. It can be grilling a meat, roasting coffee or cocoa beans, baking a baguette until a crust forms.
Only Maillard suits me
From a chemical point of view, the Maillard reaction involves glycation: a chemical transformation that occurs between a carbohydrate and a protein. Between the two, a “covalent bond” is created, ie the molecules share two electrons. To put it simply: the sugars bind to the protein.
For the Maillard reaction to occur, several conditions must be met. In addition to the presence of protein and sugars, a fairly high temperature, equivalent to or greater than 100°C, and a low level of humidity in the air are required.
Thus, browning the butter until it becomes nutty is also the Maillard reaction. In fact, lactose, the sugars in milk, reacts with casein, which is a protein. Both create a “caramelization” until the melted butter releases a nutty aroma.
Cardiovascular diseases, cancers…
If the Maillard reaction makes food attractive, it can also be responsible for the appearance of diseases, as the alert the Ministry of Health. When proteins change, certain substances are created. Only a tenth of them have been identified by scientists: acrylamide, benzopyrenes or even N-carboxymethyllysine (it is called CML, because the name is barbaric).
READ ALSOWhy is a wine red, white, rosé, yellow, or even orange? However, some are easily absorbed by our intestine, and accumulate in the body. This is the case of CML, which could trigger inflammation and promote cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Others, such as acrylamide, promote the appearance of cancers if ingested in large quantities. In short, enough to have trouble with Maillard.
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