caramelize

Definition

The magical cooking technique where you apply heat to sugars (or sugar-containing foods) until they turn golden brown and develop complex, sweet flavors. This is why onions go from 'meh' to 'marry me' after 45 minutes of patient stirring. Food Network judges use this word constantly because it sounds more sophisticated than 'burn it slightly but in a good way.'

Example Usage

The recipe promised caramelized onions in 10 minutes, which is how I learned that cookbook authors are liars—it took 40 minutes of constant stirring.

Source: Culinary terminology via Free Dictionary API

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