Caramel

A piece of caramel confectionery.

For other uses, see Caramel (disambiguation)}}}.

Caramel is a food which has an orange-brown colour and a sweet toasted flavour, derived from the caramelization of sugar. Caramel is used to flavour candy, as well as soft drinks such as Coca-Cola. It is also commonly used as a food colouring (with the E number E150).

Caramel can be made from sugar by heating it slowly to around 170°C/340°F. (The particular temperature depends on the sugar. See caramelization). As the sugar melts and approaches this temperature, the molecules break down into other volatile compounds that give it the characteristic caramel colour and flavours. There are also many other ways of making caramel.

Various candies, confections, and desserts are made with caramel: barley sugar; caramel and nuts: praline, nougat, brittle; caramel and custard: crème caramel, crème brûlée.

Caramel candy

The word caramel also describes a soft, chewy, caramel-flavored candy made by boiling milk and sugar together. Its colour and flavour are due not to caramelization, but to the Stecker degradation or the Maillard reaction, which occurs between an amino acid and a reducing sugar.

In the United States, there is some disagreement on how to pronounce the word "caramel", with ads and other publications sometimes making jests at it. It can be pronounced (IPA pronunciation) ['kɛrəˌmel] or ['kɑrˌmɪl], with either way being valid. Most of the English-speaking world uses the latter pronunciation – as reflected by the Ben & Jerry's flavor Karamel Sutra (a pun based on Kama Sutra) – with the British public preferring ['kærəˌmel].

Caramel

Caramel candy

See also