The
Maillard reaction is a
chemical reaction between an
amino acid and a
reducing sugar, usually requiring
heat. Like
caramelization, it is a form of
non-enzymatic browning. The reactive
carbonyl group of the sugar reacts with the
nucleophilic amino group of the
amino acid, and forms a variety of interesting but poorly characterized molecules responsible for a range of odors and flavors. This process is accelerated in an alkaline environment as the
amino groups are deprotonated and hence have an increased nucleophilicity. This reaction is the basis of the
flavoring industry, since the type of
amino acid determines the resulting flavor.
In the process, hundreds of different flavor compounds are created. These compounds in turn break down to form yet more new flavor compounds, and so on. Each type of food has a very distinctive set of flavor compounds that are formed during the Maillard reaction. It is these same compounds that flavor scientists have used over the years to create artificial flavors.
Although used since ancient times, the reaction is named after the chemist Louis-Camille Maillard who investigated it in the 1910s.
The Maillard reaction is responsible for many colors and flavors in foods
