Maillard reaction

Lore & Background

Hodge with the U.S. Department of Agriculture established a mechanism for the Maillard reaction. The reaction is named after Maillard, who first described it while attempting to reproduce biological protein synthesis.

Reader's Guide

The Maillard reaction is significant because it is responsible for the browning and flavor development in a vast array of foods, including seared steaks, fried dumplings, cookies, breads, toasted marshmallows, and falafel. It produces hundreds of different flavor compounds depending on the food's chemical constituents, temperature, cooking time, and presence of air. The reaction is accelerated in an alkaline environment, such as when lye is applied to darken pretzels. At high temperatures, a probable carcinogen called acrylamide can form, which can be discouraged by heating at a lower temperature, adding asparaginase, or injecting carbon dioxide. According to chemistry Nobel Prize winner Jean-Marie Lehn, 'The Maillard is, by far, the most widely practiced chemical reaction in the world.' The reaction also occurs in non-food contexts, such as in archaeology when bodies are preserved in peat bogs, and contributes to the preservation of paleofeces.

Did You Know?

• At higher temperatures, caramelization and pyrolysis become more pronounced, distinct from the Maillard reaction.
• Acrylamide, a probable human carcinogen, can be generated as a byproduct of the Maillard reaction between reducing sugars and the amino acid asparagine.