The Flavor of Caramelized Sugar The aroma of a simple caramelized sugar has several different notes, among them buttery and milky (from diacetyl), fruity (esters and lactones), flowery, sweet, rum-like, and roasted. As the reactions proceed, the taste of the mixture becomes less sweet as more of the original sugar is destroyed, with more pronounced acidity and eventually bitterness and an irritating, burning sensation.
Some of the chemical products in caramel are effective antioxidants and can help protect food flavors from damage during
storage.
When sugars are cooked with ingredients
that include proteins or amino acids— milk or cream, for example—then in addition to true caramelization, some of the sugars participate with the proteins and amino acids in the Maillard browning reactions
(p. 778), which produce a larger range of compounds and a richer aroma.