caramelization
car·a·mel·i·za·tion [ ˌkär-mə-lə-ˈzā-shən]
[ˌkär-mə-lə-ˈzā-shən]
: the process of heating sugar (such as granulated white sugar or the sugar contained in a food) at high temperature so that water is removed and the sugar is broken down (as into glucose and fructose) and then reformed into complex polymers producing a sweet, nutty, or buttery flavor and golden-brown to dark brown color : the nonenzymatic process of changing sugar or the sugar content of a food into caramel (see caramel sense 1)
An intense caramelization of the carrots concentrates their flavor and brings up their sweetness until they're almost like candy-but the roasted garlic and thyme keep the dish on the savory side.— April Bloomfield First Known Use of caramelization
1845, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries near caramelization