Abstract
To demonstrate experimentally the role of Maillard reaction in the coloration and flavoring of food, which takes place on cooking, especially on baking and roasting, the following procedure has been shown to be available for the food-education in senior high-school; the aqueous solutions (10-2 M) of reducing sugar and amino acid are taken in a hole of spot-plate (3 drops of each solution) and the mixture is heated on a hot-plate (within 10 min at 150°C) or in a microwave-oven (3 1/3 min). The resulting color and aroma are compared with those of experiments carried out in parallel by using the respective solutions of reducing sugar and amino acid. The spot-plate can be substituted by some kitchen wares such as dishes and moulds to make pudding and cake. The domestically available reducing sugar (fructose) and amino acid as well as peptide (Na-L-glutamate and aspartame) were also usable in place of pure chemicals.
