On Food and Cooking

The flavors of caramelization. Heat
transforms table sugar, a sweet, odorless,
single kind of molecule, into hundreds of
different molecules that generate a complex
flavor and rich brown color. A few aromatic
examples (clockwise from top left) : alcohol,
sherry-like acetaldehyde, vinegary acetic
acid, buttery diacetyl, fruity ethyl acetate,
nutty furan, solvent-like benzene, and toasty
maltol.
Making Caramel The usual technique for
making caramel is to mix table sugar with
some water, then heat until the water has
boiled off and the molten sugar colors. Why
add water if the first thing you do is boil it
off? Water makes it possible to cook the sugar
over high heat from the very beginning
without the danger of burning it. In addition,