Buzz
It's universally acknowledged that nothing sparks hunger like the smell of bacon sizzling. Even my mother, who has embraced a mostly vegetarian lifestyle for years, admits to feeling a strong craving when bacon hits the pan. So what exactly makes bacon smell so mouthwatering?
The experts at Reactions—a series created to explain the chemistry behind everyday phenomena, produced by the American Chemical Society—break it down for us in a brief, two-minute video, with insights from CompoundChem.
In simple terms, when you throw bacon in the pan, it undergoes the Maillard Reaction, a process that gives food its golden-brown color and flavor. In the case of bacon, the Maillard Reaction occurs as sugars interact with amino acids, and when combined with the fat melting from the meat, it produces the aromatic compounds that make your mouth water faster than Pavlov's dog hearing the bell.
The aroma compounds consist mostly of hydrocarbons (chains of hydrogen and carbon atoms) and aldehydes (carbon bonded to both oxygen and hydrogen), some of which create a mouthwatering fragrance. However, the true star of bacon's enticing scent is the nitrogen-rich compound pyridine. When combined with hydrocarbons, aldehydes, and other aromatic compounds, the video explains, “they form the key elements behind bacon’s irresistible aroma.”
For a deeper dive into why bacon smells so heavenly, be sure to watch the video and explore this post on CompoundChem.
