The Ancient Pairing of Soy Sauce and Sugar: 红烧, And Why it Tastes So Good.

Two nights ago, I strode into the kitchen, and the familiar smell of sweet soy sauce and meat hit my senses. Before I even turned the corner, I could picture the bubbling pan of golden brown strips of beef with cubes of sauteed onions and potatoes. Grandpa would be pouring in a slurry to thicken the sauce. My grandpa often makes us hong shao rou for dinner since it is quick and savory. If you’re Asian, or have eaten at an Asian restaurant, you most likely have tasted the combo of soy sauce and sugar in teriyaki, hong shao, sweet and sour, or even take-out orange chicken from Panda Express. In Chinese, my grandfather’s dish is called "红烧." But I’ve always wondered ... why put soy sauce and sugar together, and why does it taste so good?

The answer is simple. How food tastes is dependent on how it smells and looks. Since smell is usually the first sense that hits you, the most delicious popular food items smell amazing and look even better. The minute the soy sauce and sugar hit the hot pan, a reaction takes place, causing scent particles to rise through the air, travel across the room, and land in your nose.

This reaction is called the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction that makes all browned foods like baked bread, grilled meat, and pancakes smell and taste scrumptious.

Here’s a quick and simple scientific breakdown of it. Soy sauce has many activated amino acids, which are the building blocks for all proteins. Sugar is a form of carbohydrate (fructose). When these two ingredients marry, they give off a mouthwatering scent. The amino acids in soy sauce and carbohydrates in sugar swirl around in the skillet, chemically creating a scent that leaves you sniffing for more.

This divine smell makes you want to devour "Hong Shao Rou," also known as red braised pork belly, since smell controls 90% of what you choose to consume!

So next time you’re strolling past Panda Express or a family barbeque, smelling the Orange Chicken or ribs cooking and wonder why your mouth instantly waters, remember the Maillard reaction!