Delhi, NCR
The Results for the Twelfth Grade Will Be Announced. Ria couldn’t sleep well last night because she was worried. The results for the twelfth grade are expected to be announced any day this week. Ria knows that if she doesn’t get good marks, she won’t be able to study science in college. She wants to get into a good college so she can have access to a good lab. Only then will she be able to conduct various fascinating experiments! Ria quickly finished the tea left by Jyotsna-di at her aunt’s Kolkata house and fell asleep again. She woke up at ten in the morning to Arka’s loud voice calling her from the dining table.
She quickly washed her face and went to the dining table, where she saw Arka sipping from his favorite large teacup and reading the newspaper on his tablet.
“Wow, you’re awake? Your exam results are about to be announced. Surely good news is coming.” Arka said without looking up from his tablet.
“Don’t scare me, Arka-da! I’m already so worried that I can’t sleep properly these days.”
“What’s there to be scared of? You’ve already decided to study science. But decide now whether you want to study physics, chemistry, or biology.”
“Let me see my marks first.”
“Why do marks matter? Will your marks decide what subject you should study? Choose your subject today itself by the afternoon. But first, eat this hot French toast. Then take a bath. I’ll take you to Esplanade. I have some work there. I’ll treat you to chowmein at Deckers Lane. Once you try it, you’ll never forget it.”
Going out with Arka means a lot of walking around, learning new things, and eating various delicious foods in Kolkata. Ria eagerly picked up a French toast from the plate in front of her and started eating.
“Wow, this tastes so good! Jyotsna-di’s cooking is excellent. It’s crispy and tasty. When I tried to make it once, it got burnt and turned black.”
“This is the simplest dish that anyone can make. And Jyotsna-di’s son’s ears are probably burning today. She left quickly after a phone call from home.”
“Then who made this?”
“Why? I did! Making this simple breakfast is no trouble at all. You could do it too if you tried. Just remember the chemistry behind the frying. That’s it, then no one can stop you.”
“Is science really behind all frying?”
“Absolutely. This toast has a light brown color. That color is the result of that chemistry. In 1912, French doctor Louis Camille Maillard first mentioned this chemical reaction in his research paper. Dr. Maillard was working on liver problems at the time. He noticed that a brown substance was forming from the reaction between amino acids and sugar. That substance is called melanoidin. Quite a complicated name, isn’t it? Don’t get scared. It’s a polymer with a special aroma. The aroma is quite pleasant and appealing. So, when we fry some food, it gets a brown color and becomes delicious. For example, chicken roast, fish fry, and French fries. All of them get a brown color and a wonderful aroma, making your mouth water.
“Not just the fries I mentioned, but almost all fried foods, including bread, brownies, or cakes, owe their color and aroma to the Maillard reaction. Let’s see how this reaction happens during frying.
“You know that any food contains protein, whether it’s meat or potatoes. Raw food also contains sugar. Carbohydrates break down when heated, forming sucrose or simple sugar. If the amino acids in the protein and sugar are heated to 135-160 degrees Celsius, melanoidin forms. The temperature must be just right, not too low or too high. If the temperature is too high, melanoidin breaks down into other compounds, making the food taste bitter. So, you must be careful about the temperature when frying.
Proper heat from all sides ensures good frying. The outer layer of the fry becomes crispy, but the inside remains soft. When you bite into a fish fry, it feels wonderful! This is the magic of the Maillard reaction.
Without realizing it, we enjoy delicious chicken pakora, chicken fry, fish fry, and French fries every day because of this reaction.”
“That’s why your French toast tastes so good. Sprinkling onion on top before frying made it even better.”
Ria happily commented as she took a bite of the third French toast.
“You’ve got it exactly right. If you fry onions on high heat, they get a brown color and a pleasant aroma. But if you stir them too much, they’ll burn and taste bitter.”
“Are we going to Deckers Lane for chow mein today?”
Arka laughed and said, “Oh, Delhi girl, not hawkers, it’s Deckers Lane. Yes, we’re going. Let me tell you a bit more about the Maillard reaction. When they make chow mein, you’ll see they fry it in a huge wok on high heat while tossing it. This is called stir-frying. The Maillard reaction also plays a role here. At high temperatures, the amino acids and sugar in the chow mein react to give it a brown color. It’s tossed to prevent it from sitting too long in the wok and losing its taste due to excessive heat.
“You know that adding a little sugar while cooking enhances the taste. A little sugar gives the curry a light brown color. The same goes for cooking meat. But I don’t like it if there’s too much sugar. Too much sugar can give a brown color, but it makes the dish too sweet, like a dessert.”
“Arka-da, can I ask you something? Would we get better results using a microwave oven or an air fryer instead of gas?” Ria asked.
“You can fry using the grill + micro mode in a microwave oven. It turns out well. But an air fryer is better because it fries food at the right temperature with hot air from all sides. An air fryer is best for making French fries. Both machines allow you to control the temperature, unlike gas. But with practice, even a cook who doesn’t know science can make excellent fries.”
“Chefs in big hotels know science. That’s why they make such amazing dishes, right?”
“Of course. They have to study the science of cooking. But more important than science in good cooking is experience and practice. However, knowing a bit of cooking science is essential for amateurs like us. It has been seen that many scientists also take an interest in cooking to break the monotony of their work and can make beautiful dishes.”
“Do scientists cook?” Ria asked with wide eyes.
“Some of them do. Scientist Prafulla Chandra Ray was a bachelor. He cooked his own meals. You’ll also find people in every profession who have elevated cooking to an art form out of love. For example, the writer Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. He could reportedly cook amazing meat dishes. In his book ‘Adarsha Hindu Hotel,’ he mentions adding hot water instead of cold while cooking meat. Now get ready to go out. At Deckers Lane, you’ll see how they stir-fry chow mein.”
Photos and French fries – The Author