¿La cena de Nochevieja sabe mejor? Descubre la razón real

Author: Editorial Team

Reviewer: Wang Xiaohui, Senior Engineer in Food Science.

Title: Does New Year's Eve Dinner Taste Better? Discover the Real Reason

The Year of the Horse has arrived and the festive atmosphere is strongly felt. The Beijing Science Center has launched a new series of columns titled "Decoding the Flavor of New Year", covering everything from the return home during the Spring Festival transportation to the fire in the kitchen, from the meals on the table to the customs at hand. We will use scientific keys to interpret the fun codes hidden in festive life. Let's come together to decipher New Year and feel the warmth and wonder of order in all things.

When preparing the New Year's Eve dinner, as soon as the oil pot heats up and the fried food goes in, the aroma quickly fills the entire kitchen; meanwhile, the boiled dishes nearby rarely seem to have such a 'highlight moment'. Despite using the same ingredients, why does fried food always smell more fragrant?

High temperatures can damage the molecular structure.

In fresh ingredients, most aromatic volatile substances are trapped in complete cellular structures or in a lipid environment. As the boiling point of water is only 100 °C, the heat during water cooking is relatively limited, making it difficult to completely destroy cell walls and membranes in a short period of time. Therefore, aromas can only be released gradually through slow diffusion, resulting in a rather mild overall expression of flavor.

When the temperature of the oil exceeds 150 °C, the situation changes dramatically. The heat causes the internal moisture of the ingredients to vaporize rapidly and expand, creating intense pressure within the cells. Along with thermal expansion, this can quickly destroy the cellular structure, allowing aromatic compounds like esters and aldehydes, which were originally 'trapped', to be released concentrated.

At the same time, the heat causes the moisture on the surface of the food to evaporate quickly, thereby reducing the dilution and obstruction of flavor compounds by water. This allows the aromas to concentrate, facilitating their entry into the air and directly stimulating the sense of smell, resulting in a more intense and three-dimensional flavor experience.

The Maillard Reaction

When the surface temperature of food reaches about 140 °C, the Maillard reaction begins to occur. At this point, reducing sugars such as glucose and fructose distributed on the food's surface react with amino acids present in proteins. Under high-temperature conditions, continuous dehydration and restructuring occur, forming a series of new compounds.

This process can be roughly divided into three stages: First, carbohydrates combine with amino acids to generate intermediate products; subsequently, these intermediate products decompose and reorganize under high temperatures, generating small molecules such as aldehydes and ketones, which have marked aromatic characteristics; finally, some of the products further group together, forming melanin-like substances of a darker color.

These changes cause the surface of the food to gradually appear golden or even dark brown, while releasing a complex and rich aroma.

Unlike simple moisture evaporation, the Maillard reaction does not merely 'release aroma', but directly creates new flavor molecules. It transforms the rather bland 'raw taste' into the familiar roasted aroma, which is one of the core reasons for the alluring scent of fried foods.

You should not consume fried foods excessively.

Fried foods, while creating attractive flavors through unique physical and chemical reactions, also present potential health risks that cannot be ignored.

High calories and metabolic load: During frying, foods absorb large amounts of fat, leading to a drastic increase in energy density. Long-term excessive consumption of these foods can lead to an excess of calories and increase the risk of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

Nutrient loss and fat degradation: high temperatures can destroy some heat-sensitive nutrients in food. At the same time, fats can undergo oxidation and hydrolysis reactions at elevated temperatures, generating harmful compounds.

Generation of potential carcinogens: when the frying temperature is too high or the time is excessive, especially in protein-rich ingredients, chemical substances such as heterocyclic amines can form, which pose cancer risks.

Although fried foods have a strong aroma and tempting flavor, prolonged or excessive consumption can have negative health effects. For this reason, fried foods are best enjoyed as delightful delicacies during festive occasions or occasionally, rather than becoming the main option in the daily diet.