The Maillard reaction

In short: The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugar when heated. It produces the brown colour and roasted flavour of roasts, bread and coffee.

In more detail: It starts at about 140 °C and runs faster on a dry surface. The reaction is named after the chemist Louis-Camille Maillard.

In detail

• Pan-fry dry: Moisture prevents browning because water stays at 100 °C. Pat meat dry first.
• Do not overcrowd the pan: Too much food cools the pan and steams instead of browning.
• Baking: Bread crust, biscuits and roasted onions brown this way.
• Caramelising: A different reaction in which only sugar is heated (karamellisieren-von-zucker).
• Side effect: Heavy browning can create acrylamide. Roasting golden instead of dark brown is healthier (verbrennung-und-feuer).