What is the effect of adding sugar to cooking

When cooking, adding some white sugar appropriately is a common cooking technique. Adding sugar has many functions. White sugar has a good buffering effect. It can enhance the umami flavor and make the taste of the whole dish more harmonious. In addition, it also has the function of coloring, which can make the color of the whole dish more beautiful. You must also understand the precautions when adding sugar. Be sure to add sugar first and then salt.

What is the effect of adding sugar to cooking

01 Seasoning

White sugar can be described as a universal "buffer". If you accidentally add too much salt when cooking or preparing stuffing, adding a little sugar can reduce the saltiness. When making sour dishes or soups, adding a small amount of sugar can alleviate the sourness and make the taste harmonious.

Even if you put too much chili pepper, adding some sugar can effectively alleviate the spicy taste. Adding some sugar when stir-frying bitter gourd can also cover up some of the bitterness. In addition, adding a little sugar before adding salt when cooking can enhance the flavor.

02 Coloring

Some chicken, duck and fish meat look rosy and bright, sweet and delicious, which makes people very appetizing. This is also due to sugar. Rock sugar is the best choice for sugar coloring, followed by white sugar.

Please note that when frying sugar color, you must use low heat and stir-fry slowly, and stop when the sugar color changes from light yellow to date red or dark red. If you stir-fry it for too long, the sugar color will taste bitter.

When coloring ingredients with skin, such as chicken and pork heads, you should apply sugar water on them immediately after they are cooked, and then bake or fry them. This is because after being boiled in water, the pores of the cortical tissue of the ingredient will expand, the sugar color will be more evenly distributed, and will quickly penetrate into the cortex, making the finished product rosy, bright and beautiful.

03 Promote fermentation

Pickles are also a favorite delicacy among people. When making pickles, you must add an appropriate amount of rock sugar or white sugar. Why is that?

This is mainly because the fermentation of kimchi requires a large number of lactic acid bacteria to multiply, and this fermentation process requires white sugar as food, which is conducive to the growth and reproduction of lactic acid bacteria. So white sugar plays a very important role in kimchi.

04 Non-stick pan for frying fish

Frying fish is a cooking method that everyone loves. The fried fish will feel particularly fragrant, and it will be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. However, what troubles many people is that fried fish will easily stick to the pan. Once the fish skin is stuck to the pan, it will not look good, and it will no longer be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

At this time you can ask sugar for help. I’ll teach you a little trick. First, heat the oil, then add some sugar. When the oil turns golden, put the dried fish in and fry it. This way it won’t stick to the pan. The fried fish will not only have beautiful color, but also taste more delicious.