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When you fry food, you cook it in hot oil or fat. Because oil can get much hotter than water, frying gets your food crispy and browned, with extra flavor added by the oil.

 

Depending on how much oil you use, you can deep-, shallow-, or stir-fry your food. The browning of food during frying is one example of the Maillard reaction, where amino acids combine with sugars to create new flavors.

With frying temperatures around 350˚F, you don’t want your oil to break down from the heat. Vegetable oils withstand higher heat than animal fats. The longer you heat your oil, however, the faster it will break down.

INGREDIENTS

• Corn syrup
• Amino acid caplets (available at health food stores)
• Nonstick skillet
• Oven mitt
• Stove

DIRECTIONS

With help from an adult, put 1 tsp. corn syrup in the skillet on the stove.

Open one amino acid caplet and pour it into the corn syrup in the skillet.

Turn the heat to high.

Move the skillet back and forth to mix the powder, then observe any changes in smell.

WHAT'S COOKIN'

When amino acids and sugars are heated together, they produce a Maillard reaction. If you smell the corn syrup and the amino acid powder before mixing them, you may notice that the chemical reaction creates a new, different smell.