{"id":4391,"date":"2022-06-30T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=4391"},"modified":"2022-06-14T07:03:29","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T07:03:29","slug":"what-makes-smoky-charred-barbecue-taste-so-good-the-chemistry-of-cooking-over-an-open-flame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/what-makes-smoky-charred-barbecue-taste-so-good-the-chemistry-of-cooking-over-an-open-flame\/","title":{"rendered":"What makes smoky, charred barbecue taste so good? The chemistry of cooking over an open flame"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n \n
\n Cooking food over an open flame produces unique flavors thanks to some interesting chemistry.\n Lars Szatmari \/ EyeEm via Getty Images<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\nKristine Nolin<\/a>, University of Richmond<\/a><\/em><\/span>\n\n

The mere thought of barbecue\u2019s smokey scents and intoxicating flavors is enough to get most mouths watering. Summer is here, and that means it is barbecue season for many people in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n

I am a chemist who studies compounds found in nature<\/a>, and I am also a lover of food \u2013 including barbecue. Cooking on a grill may seem simple, but there is a lot of chemistry that sets barbecue apart from other cooking methods and results in such a delicious experience.<\/p>\n\n

\n \"Burning<\/a>\n
\n Cooking over an open flame \u2013 whether from gas, wood or charcoal \u2013 allows you to use both radiant and conductive heat to cook food.<\/span>\n Romary\/Wikimedia Commons<\/a>, CC BY-SA<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

Cooking with fire<\/h2>\n\n

First, it is important to define barbecue because the term can mean different things in different cultures or geographic locations. At its most basic, barbecue is the cooking of food over an open flame. What sets barbecue apart from other cooking methods is how heat reaches the food.<\/p>\n\n

On a barbecue, the hot grill grates heat the food via direct contact through a process known as conduction<\/a>. The food also warms and cooks by absorbing radiation<\/a> directly from the flames below. The mix of heating methods allows you to sear the parts of the food touching the grill while simultaneously cooking the parts that aren\u2019t touching the griddle \u2013 like the sides and top \u2013 through radiating heat. The resulting range of temperatures creates a complex mixture of flavors and aromas. When cooking on a stovetop, there is much less radiation and most of the cooking is done where the food is in direct contact with the pan.<\/p>\n\n

When barbecuing, you can either put the food directly above the flames \u2013 what is called direct heat<\/a> \u2013 or farther away on indirect heat. The direct cooking method subjects the food to very high temperatures, as the grilling surface can be anywhere from 500 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit<\/a> (260 to 371 Celsius). The indirect cooking method places the heat source to the side of the food or far below, exposing the food to temperatures around 200 to 300 F (93 to 149 C). <\/p>\n\n

Cooking is the process of using high temperatures to drive chemical reactions<\/a> that change food at a molecular level. When you cook meat at higher temperatures \u2013 like over direct heat on a barbecue \u2013 the first thing to happen is that water near the meat\u2019s surface boils off. Once the surface is dry, the heat causes the proteins and sugars on the outside of the meat to undergo a reaction called the Maillard Reaction<\/a>. This reaction produces a complex mixture of molecules that make food taste more savory or \u201cmeaty\u201d and adds depth to scents and flavors. The reaction and the flavors it produces are influenced by many variables, including temperature and acidity as well as the ingredients within any sauces, rubs or marinades.<\/p>\n\n

A similar process occurs with vegetables. Barbecuing allows the water to evaporate or drip down without getting trapped by a pan. This keeps the vegetables from becoming soggy and promotes caramelization reactions<\/a>. These reactions turn carbohydrates and sugars into smaller compounds like maltol<\/a> \u2013 which has a toasty flavor \u2013 and furan \u2013 which tastes nutty, meaty and caramel-like.<\/p>\n\n

\n \"A<\/a>\n
\n It\u2019s much easier to control the level of charring on food when cooking on a barbecue.<\/span>\n Lablascovegmenu\/Wikimedia Commons<\/a>, CC BY<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

Char and crisp<\/h2>\n\n

Another hallmark of barbecued food is the unique char it develops. When foods are exposed to heat for prolonged periods of time, non-carbon atoms in the food break down, leaving behind the crispy, black carbon. This is the process of burning or charring<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

Almost no one likes a completely burnt piece of meat, but little splashes of crispy char flavor can add such depth to foods. Cooking over the direct heat of a barbecue allows you to add just the amount of char to match your taste.<\/p>\n\n

Unfortunately for those who like a little extra crisp, some of the chemicals in charred meat \u2013 molecules called heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons \u2013 are known carcinogens<\/a>. Though the dangers are far lower than smoking cigarettes, for example, limiting the amount of charring on meats can help reduce the risk of developing cancer<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

\n \"Sausages<\/a>\n
\n Smoke gives barbecued foods much of their unique flavor.<\/span>\n Harry Knight\/Unsplash Photos<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

Smokey flavors<\/h2>\n\n

The final quintessential barbecue flavor is smokiness. Cooking over wood or charcoal involves a lot of smoke. Even on a gas grill, melting fats will drip onto the heat source and produce smoke. As smoke swirls around the barbecue, the food will absorb its flavors.<\/p>\n\n

Smoke is made up of gases, water vapor and small solid particles from the fuel. Burning wood breaks down molecules called lignans<\/a>, and these turn into smaller organic molecules<\/a> \u2013 including syringol and guaiacol \u2013 that are mainly responsible for the quintessential smokey flavor.<\/p>\n\n

When smoke comes in contact with food, the components of the smoke can get absorbed<\/a>. Food is particularly good at taking on smokey flavors because it contains both fats and water. Each binds to different types of molecules. In chemistry terms, fats are non-polar \u2013 meaning they have a weak electric charge \u2013 and easily grab other non-polar molecules. Water is polar \u2013 meaning it has areas of positive charge and an area of negative charge similar to a magnet \u2013 and is good at binding to other polar molecules. Some foods are better at absorbing smokey flavors than others, depending on their composition. One way to use chemistry to make food more smokey is to periodically spray it with water during the barbecuing process.<\/p>\n\n

Smoke can contain hundreds of possible carcinogens<\/a> depending on what you are burning. Only a small amount of research<\/a> has been done on whether grilled foods absorb enough smoke to pose a significant risk to health. But researchers know that inhaling smoke<\/a> is strongly correlated with cancer.<\/p>\n\n

While the idea of barbecuing your favorite dish may evoke the feeling of simple pleasures, the science behind it is quite complex. The next time you enjoy the smoky goodness of food from a grill, you will hopefully appreciate the diverse nature of the compounds and reactions that helped produce it.\"The<\/p>\n\n

Kristine Nolin<\/a>, Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Richmond<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cooking food over an open flame produces unique flavors thanks to some interesting chemistry. Lars Szatmari \/ EyeEm…\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":4392,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[313,536,474],"class_list":{"0":"post-4391","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-math-and-the-sciences","8":"tag-chemistry","9":"tag-food","10":"tag-the-conversation","11":"cs-entry","12":"cs-video-wrap"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4391"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4393,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4391\/revisions\/4393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}