Browning Reactions and Flavor

Appears in
On Food and Cooking

By Harold McGee

Published 2004

  • About

While the chemical changes caused by moderate heat modify or intensify flavors that are intrinsic to a food, the browning reactions produce new flavors, flavors that are characteristic of the cooking process. These reactions are named for the typical colors that they also create, which may actually range from yellow to red to black, depending on the conditions.