caramelize
Heat until golden
To caramelize is to heat sugar until it browns and develops a rich, complex flavor.
The process transforms white sugar into amber liquid with notes of butter and toffee.
By extension, caramelize describes cooking any food until its natural sugars brown: caramelized onions, caramelized bananas.
The result is deeper color and sweeter, more complex taste.
Bright yellow, or precious
- amberHardened ancient tree secretion
- tawnyWarm brownish-yellow hue
- crustHard outer layer
- brûléeFrench for burnt
glaze · mahogany · burnished · lacquered · glistening · sheen · crackling · torched
Crystalline carbohydrate sweetener
- toffeeCaramelized sugar confection
- butterscotchBrown sugar candy
- pralineNut and sugar candy
- flanCaramel-glazed baked custard
crème · dulce · brittle · nougatine · treacle · molasses · syrup · honey
Pungent layered cooking bulbs
- shallotsMild clustered cooking bulbs
- garlicPungent culinary bulb
- leeksMild bulb vegetables
- fennelLicorice-tasting culinary herb
carrots · parsnips · endive · bananas · pineapple · apples · pears · figs
Cook quickly in fat
- deglazeDissolve caramelized pan residue
- flambéFood set alight
- torchHandheld burning light source
- broilCook with direct heat
reduce · baste · stir · swirl · bain-marie · gratinate · blowtorch · salamander
Surname behind browning
- sucroseGlucose-fructose disaccharide
- glucosePrimary cellular fuel
- fructoseMonosaccharide in produce
- pyrolysisHeat-driven molecular breakdown
dehydration · saccharide · isomerization · degradation · volatiles · diacetyl · polymerization · oxidation
Distance below surface
- richnessState of abundance
- complexityState of being complicated
- bittersweetWistful yet warm
- nuttyEccentric or almond-flavored
toasty · smoky · malty · buttery · warm · aromatic · nuanced · undertones
golden
Bright yellow, or precious
brûlée · glaze · mahogany · burnished · lacquered · glistening · sheen · crackling · torched · broiled
sugar
Crystalline carbohydrate sweetener
- toffeeCaramelized sugar confection
- butterscotchBrown sugar candy
- pralineNut and sugar candy
flan · crème · dulce · brittle · nougatine · treacle · molasses · syrup · honey · maple
onions
Pungent layered cooking bulbs
fennel · carrots · parsnips · endive · bananas · pineapple · apples · pears · figs · peaches
sauté
Cook quickly in fat
broil · reduce · baste · stir · swirl · bain-marie · gratinate · blowtorch · salamander · skillet
Maillard
Surname behind browning
pyrolysis · dehydration · saccharide · isomerization · degradation · volatiles · diacetyl · polymerization · oxidation · decomposition
depth
Distance below surface
- richnessState of abundance
- complexityState of being complicated
- bittersweetWistful yet warm
nutty · toasty · smoky · malty · buttery · warm · aromatic · nuanced · undertones · notes
caramelizecrystallize
Form into ordered structure
solidify · seize · recrystallize · harden · granulate
- caramelized fruitFruit cooked until sugar-browned
- caramelized onionsAlliums cooked until golden-brown
- caramelized sugarHeat-darkened crystalline sweetener
- caramelized bananasFruit cooked in melting sugar
- caramelized milkHeat-transformed sweetened dairy
- caramelized syrupSugar heated past melting
caramelized, caramelizing, caramelizes, caramelization, caramelised, caramelise, caramelises, caramelising, carameling