The process by which bread toasts is called the “Maillard Reaction”.

The process by which bread toasts is called the “Maillard Reaction”

When does bread become toast? The browning process we call toasting is an example of the Maillard reaction, in which amino acids and sugars interact to produce the characteristic brown color, texture, and flavor we know as toast.

See, when bread is toasted, it goes through a scientific process called the Maillard reaction, which has been proven to make food loads more delicious.

The Maillard reaction, named after L. C. Maillard, is also known as non-enzymatic browning. It is an extremely complex process and is the reaction between reducing sugars and proteins by the impact of heat. The Maillard reaction starts with the reaction of a reducing sugar with an amine, creating glycosylamine.

One of the most important flavor-producing reactions in cooking is the Maillard reaction. It is sometimes called the “browning reaction” in discussions of cooking, but that description is incomplete at best.

The Maillard reaction (/maɪˈjɑːr/ my-YAR; French: [majaʁ]) is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavor.

Some U.S. families have straight toast with meals, but everyone on both sides of the pond agrees about cheese on toast – or a “toastie,” as some Brits might know it – while a Welsh rarebit (toast with cheese and other ingredients – mustard or pepper but usually Worcestershire sauce) is popular too, despite some dodgy ...