crystals. This tendency to form crystals is the
means by which we obtain pure sugar from
plant juices, and it’s the way that we make
many kinds of candies. Sugar crystallization
is described in detail on p. 682.
Caramelization
Caramelization is the name given to the
chemical reactions that occur when any sugar
is heated to the point that its molecules begin
to break apart. This destruction triggers a
remarkable cascade of chemical creation.
From a single kind of molecule in the form of
colorless, odorless, simply sweet crystals, the
cook generates hundreds of new and different
compounds, some of them small fragments
that are sour or bitter, or intensely aromatic,
others large aggregates with no flavor but a
deep brown color. The more the sugar is
cooked, the less sugar and sweetness remain,
and the darker and more bitter it gets.