What makes toasted bread and roasted coffee smell so good? It's a chemical reaction called the Maillard Reaction. Dr. Kiki explains the science behind the feel-good smell on this episode of Food Science
Kiki I loved this video, it was very informative and helped me prepare for my nutrition exam. Also you seem fun to hang out with, I loved the intro haha.
what she should have done was put the steak actually on the hot pan, not draped over top of the onions which were only going to steam the steak. That steak was never going to Brown getting steamed like that!
Oh thank you Dr. Kiki =) Your humour and knowledge just cheer me up and motivated me to study - it made my day!! =) I'm currently a second year Food Science and Technology student at Monash University
Am I insane? Or was this a repost? I remember watching a video so similar to this that came with a short series that talked about science and chemistry and how it related to cooking. If this is that video, it is the one that got me really into culinary.
This video has been around for a while. I originally did this series with an online network that has since gone out of business. The videos were licensed to another company who put them on Hulu, which was cool for a bit. And, years later, I realized that somewhere along the way they weren't available anywhere. so, I got the license back, and was able to post them for people to continue to use and enjoy. So, it may be the same video, but regardless, I'm glad you enjoy it.
I love this beautiful scientific and detailed explanation but I have a question. on minute 2:50 she said the high heat causes amino acids and in the surface of the muscle to form new compounds with carbohydrates and other compounds in the muscle, BUT another search said to me that meat has no carbohydrates so how can this be? can you please enlighten me?
Dear Kiki, thanks for this video! I have two quraies. 1. Does acid medium produce negative effect in mailard reaction? I mean if chicken breast is marinated with vineger or lemon juice before browning will it affect mailard reaction negatively? 2. Does Browning chicken breast with combination of different sugars like honey, onion paste, molasses, fruit juices etc. will add new flavour molecules?
Thank you for watching! Yes, if you marinate meat using an acid it will potentially slow down conversion of Maillard products, but the overall effect is better because it allows the marinade (moisture and flavor) to infuse deeper into the meat. However, you can use baking soda to counteract the effect, speed up the reactions, and enhance browning by raising the external pH. As for using various sugars in sauces, yes they will add different flavor profiles based on other molecular components present in the solution. Just be careful not to burn it because it will overpower any caramelization or Maillard effects.
Steak will contain carbohydrates such as glycogen and lactic acid. Not a lot but some. Glycogen provides the energy for muscle contraction and Latin acid is an end product of glycogen being metabolised.
Dr. Kiki I was wondering, I'm a professional chef. And I vacuum seal my vegetables such as garlic onions apples carrots and excetera and then I put them in a sous-vide bath and 182.5 degrees Fahrenheit for 36 hours and I'll I'll have like garlic like apple and excetera how is the reaction different when it's sealed
Oooooh! I love sous-vide food. The long period at that temperature is enough to allow the chemical reaction for the sugars to form, but you just don't get the browning/more toast-like flavors. It's like if you are doing low temp long time onion caramelization in a pan - the water in the food stays present in the bag instead of evaporating & is the solvent that allows the reactions to take place. Same caramelization reaction, just more of the stuff present gets converted.
no but since steaks and most food arent exactly flat, the oil can help with cooking by increasing the surface area in contact with the heat. oil also helps to prevent sticking
I get wanting to be scientific. I am here for it. But shoving steak on uncooked onions knowing they have different going times is just weird. As soon as the beef hit the pan I hit pause
Anyone else "triggered" by her 3 massive basic cooking skill mistakes equivalent of a war crime? First using metal tongs on a non stick pan, second adding onions without oil/fat and third the worst is adding that steak on top of the onions spread out..
Sorry for triggering you there. Agreed on the metal tongs, but it was all we had at the time of the video shoot. As to the oil/fat, it helps heat the onions to the caramelization point faster, and is usually used when softening onions, but isn't necessary. Adding the steak on top of the onions once they have begun to cook can impart more of the onion flavor into an un-marinated or otherwise un-prepared piece of meat. Flip it and the onions over after a minute of so and you get the flat sear on the other side. I was working with what I had and the time we had - perhaps I could have shot it in a different order, but that was what we got.
Was all good till she put the metal into the Teflon pan, then doubles down with the steak on top of the onions to prevent searing. Oh well, of to Tesco. Tesco. "BBC trying to be Sarcastic, Ends up being relevant. (Feminism)".
