Maillard Reactions

Maillard reactions class of chemical reactions that are typically associated with nonenzymatic browning occurring, for example, during frying, baking, or grilling. In the course of these reactions, carbohydrates bind with amino acids from proteins and, after a series of intermediate steps, form a number of poorly characterized brown pigments and aromatic substances collectively known as melanoids. These substances give rise to a broad spectrum of taste and smell sensations ranging from the flower- and plant-like to the meat- and earth-like.