The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction that occurs between proteins and sugars when food is impacted by heat. It's also known as non-enzymatic browning. This process gives browned food its distinctive flavor.
The Maillard reaction occurs in all of the listed examples. Coffee, bread, and meat all contain sugars and proteins. Roasting, toasting, and searing are all forms of thermal processing, which means that heat is involved. This heat impacts the sugars and proteins, which leads to the Maillard reaction.
