Why do foods turn brown when we cook them?

#017 Rebroadcast

This week Melissa and Jam explore some of the chemistry behind cooking. What happens when you sear a steak? What's going on when you toast toast? Why do so many foods turn golden-brown when cooking? Let's dig in.

References from this episode

1. Control of Maillard Reactions in Foods: Strategies and Chemical Mechanisms - Marianne N. Lund, and Colin A. Ray
2. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/10/10/162636059/100-years-ago-maillard-taught-us-why-our-food-tastes-better-cooked
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/maillard-reaction
4. R.V. Hedegaard, L.H. Skibsted, in Handbook of Food Powders, 2013 Baking, Ageing, Diabetes: A Short History of the Maillard Reaction, Michael Hellwig and Thomas Henle

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