The
Maillard reaction is a
chemical reaction between an
amino acid and a
reducing sugar, usually requiring
heat. It is vitally important in the preparation or presentation of many types of food, and, like
caramelization, is a form of
non-enzymatic browning. The reaction is named after the chemist
Louis-Camille Maillard who discovered it in the 1910s while attempting to reproduce biological
protein synthesis[1]79, although it has been used in practical cooking since prehistoric times.
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. The type of the amino acid determines the resulting flavor. This reaction is the basis of the flavoring industry.
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.
The Maillard reaction is responsible for many colors and flavors in foods
