On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1298

These very similar words mean somewhat different things, and aren’t always used consistently Caramelization is the cooking of a plain sugar syrup until it turns brown and aromatic It is similar to the browning or Maillard reactions that give color and aroma to roasted meats, baked goods, and other complex foods, but unlike the browning reactions it proceeds in the absence of amino acids and proteins It requires higher temperatures than the browning reactions, and produces a different mixture of aromatic compounds and therefore a different flavor (p 777) Cooks have spoken of “caramelized” or “carmelized” meats for better than a century, but this is not really correct Caramel is first of all the brown, sweet, aromatic syrup produced in caramelization, which may be used as coloring and/or flavoring ingredient in many preparations But cooks use the same word to mean the combination of caramelized sugar and various milk products, ideally cream, which are mixed while the sugar is still hot so that the milk solids are browned and generate color and aroma as well This kind of caramel is often used as a sauce Caramels are solid candies made from a mixture of caramelized sugar and cream Caramels, Toffees, and Taffies Caramels and their relatives are generally noncrystalline candies that contain milkfat and milk solids, usually in the concentrated form of sweetened condensed milk (Cheap versions are made with milk powder and vegetable shortening.) They are chewy rather than hard, and wonderfully mouthwatering because chewing liberates droplets of butterfat from the sugar mass Their chewiness comes from a lower cooking temperature and so a higher moisture ... Caramels, Toffees, and Taffies Caramels and their relatives are generally noncrystalline candies that contain milkfat and milk solids, usually in the concentrated form of sweetened condensed milk (Cheap versions are made... milk solids are browned and generate color and aroma as well This kind of caramel is often used as a sauce Caramels are solid candies made from a mixture of caramelized sugar and cream Caramels, Toffees, and Taffies Caramels and. ..many preparations But cooks use the same word to mean the combination of caramelized sugar and various milk products, ideally cream, which are mixed while the sugar is still hot so that the milk solids are browned and generate