Caramelization (or caramelisation) is a process of browning of

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

used extensively in cooking for the resulting butter-like flavor and brown color. The brown colors are produced by three groups of

polymers A polymer () is a substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, b ...

: (C₂₄H₃₆O₁₈), (C₃₆H₅₀O₂₅), and (C₁₂₅H₁₈₈O₈₀). As the process occurs, volatile chemicals such as diacetyl (known for its intense butter-like taste) are released, producing the characteristic caramel flavor. Like the Maillard reaction, caramelization is a type of non-enzymatic browning. Unlike the Maillard reaction, caramelization is pyrolytic, as opposed to being a reaction with

amino acid Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although over 500 amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the 22 α-amino acids incorporated into proteins. Only these 22 a ...

s. When caramelization involves the

disaccharide A disaccharide (also called a double sugar or ''biose'') is the sugar formed when two monosaccharides are joined by glycosidic linkage. Like monosaccharides, disaccharides are simple sugars soluble in water. Three common examples are sucrose, ...

sucrose Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula . For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refined ...

, it is broken down into the monosaccharides

fructose Fructose (), or fruit sugar, is a Ketose, ketonic monosaccharide, simple sugar found in many plants, where it is often bonded to glucose to form the disaccharide sucrose. It is one of the three dietary monosaccharides, along with glucose and gal ...

and

glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecular formula , which is often abbreviated as Glc. It is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. It is mainly made by plants and most algae d ...

Process

Caramelization is a complex, poorly understood process that produces hundreds of chemical products, and includes the following types of reactions: * equilibration of anomeric and ring forms * sucrose inversion to fructose and glucose *

condensation reaction In organic chemistry, a condensation reaction is a type of chemical reaction in which two molecules are combined to form a single molecule, usually with the loss of a small molecule such as water. If water is lost, the reaction is also known as a ...

s * intramolecular bonding *

isomerization In chemistry, isomerization or isomerisation is the process in which a molecule, polyatomic ion or molecular fragment is transformed into an isomer with a different chemical structure. Enolization is an example of isomerization, as is tautomer ...

aldose An aldose is a monosaccharide (a simple sugar) with a carbon backbone chain with a carbonyl group on the endmost carbon atom, making it an aldehyde, and hydroxyl groups connected to all the other carbon atoms. Aldoses can be distinguished from ket ...

s to

ketose In organic chemistry, a ketose is a monosaccharide containing one ketone () group per molecule. The simplest ketose is dihydroxyacetone (), which has only three carbon atoms. It is the only ketose with no optical activity. All monosaccharide keto ...

s *

dehydration reaction In chemistry, a dehydration reaction is a chemical reaction that involves the loss of an H2O from the reacting molecule(s) or ion(s). This reaction results in the release of the H2O as water. When the reaction involves the coupling of two molecu ...

s * fragmentation reactions * unsaturated

polymer A polymer () is a chemical substance, substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeat unit, repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their br ...

formation

Effects of caramelization

The process is temperature-dependent. Specific sugars each have their own point at which the reactions begin to proceed readily. Impurities in the sugar, such as the

molasses Molasses () is a viscous byproduct, principally obtained from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, the method of extraction, and the age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is usuall ...

remaining in

brown sugar Brown sugar is a sucrose sugar product with a distinctive brown color due to the presence of molasses. It is either an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content or produced by t ...

, greatly speed the reactions. Caramelization reactions are also sensitive to the chemical environment, and the reaction rate, or temperature at which reactions occur most readily, can be altered by controlling the level of acidity ( pH). The rate of caramelization is generally lowest at near-neutral acidity (pH around 7), and accelerated under both acidic (especially pH below 3) and basic (especially pH above 9) conditions.

Uses in food

Caramelization is used to produce several foods, including: * Caramel sauce, a sauce made with caramel * '' Confiture de lait'' and ''

dulce de leche ''Dulce de leche'' (), caramelized milk, milk candy, or milk jam is a confection commonly consumed after slowly heating sugar and milk over several hours. The substance takes on a spreadable, sauce-like consistency and derives its rich flavour ...

'', caramelized, sweetened milk * Caramel candies *

Crème caramel Crème caramel (), flan, caramel pudding, condensed milk pudding, or caramel custard is a custard dessert with a layer of clear caramel sauce. History Custard has a long documented history, but crème caramel or flan in its modern form, with sof ...

, and the similar crème brûlée, a custard dish topped with sugar caramelized with a blowtorch * Caramelized onions, which are used in dishes like French onion soup. Onions require 30 to 45 minutes of cooking to caramelize. * Caramelized potatoes * Caramelized pears *

Cola Cola is a Carbonation, carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus essential oil, oils, and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked br ...

, of which some brands use caramelized sugar in small amounts for color * Latik, a sweet syrup made of sugar and

coconut milk Coconut milk is a plant milk extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of the milky-white liquid are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ingred ...

which is used in several Filipino desserts. * Dodol, a type of toffee made with cane sugar, rice flour, and coconut milk originating from

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

References

External links

{{Cooking Techniques Cooking techniques Culinary terminology de:Karamellisieren

Process

Effects of caramelization

Uses in food

See also

References

External links