Caramelization

Caramelization is the thermal decomposition of sugars, producing brown pigments and characteristic flavors without requiring amino compounds.

Sucrose: Sucrose is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose, commonly used as table sugar. Heating sucrose first splits it into simpler sugars that undergo further caramelization reactions.
Monosaccharide: A monosaccharide is a simple sugar that cannot be hydrolyzed into a smaller carbohydrate. Glucose and fructose are the simple sugars that feed many caramelization pathways.
Caramel sauce: Caramel sauce is a sweet sauce made by heating sugar, often combined with cream, butter, or water. It showcases caramelization as a direct method for producing a complex flavor base.
Maillard reaction: The Maillard reaction is a set of reactions between reducing sugars and amino compounds that produces browned foods. Unlike caramelization, it requires amino compounds as reaction partners.
Food browning: Food browning is the development of brown color in food through enzymatic or nonenzymatic chemical reactions. Caramelization is one major nonenzymatic route to the brown color of cooked foods.
Sugar dehydration: Sugar dehydration is the removal of water molecules from sugars during chemical reactions. Dehydration reactions help transform heated sugars into smaller molecules and brown products.
Disaccharide: A disaccharide is a carbohydrate made of two monosaccharides linked by a glycosidic bond. Sucrose is a disaccharide whose bond can break before further thermal decomposition.
Crème brûlée: Crème brûlée is a custard dessert topped with a thin layer of hardened caramelized sugar. A torch caramelizes the surface sugar into a brittle, aromatic crust.
Enzymatic browning: Enzymatic browning is discoloration caused by enzymes oxidizing phenolic compounds in damaged plant tissues. It browns cut produce without the high temperatures required for caramelization.
Caramel aroma: Caramel aroma is the sweet, toasted, buttery, or burnt smell associated with heated sugars. Volatile breakdown products make caramelized foods smell distinct from unheated sugar.

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