Carbohydrates can be classified as monosaccharides, disaccharides, or polysaccharides depending on their molecular size. They are an important energy source and occur naturally in plants. Cooking carbohydrates causes various chemical reactions like caramelization where sugars brown and develop flavor, and gelatinization where starch absorbs water and thickens mixtures. The texture of carbohydrates is affected by both dry and moist heat through processes such as dextrinization, gelatinization, and retrogradation. Carbohydrates have many uses in food preparation like thickening, binding, coating, gelling, and browning.

1. CARBOHYDRATES
• The literal meaning of the word ‘carbohydrate’ is
hydrated carbon, that is carbon and water.
• Carbohydrates are one of the three main energy-
providing nutrients, the other two are proteins and fats.
• Carbohydrates occur in plant—
o In the sap (sugar)
o In fruits (sugar)
o In storage reserve (starch) in seeds, roots and tubers,
and as parts of the structural tissues (celluloses,
hemicelluloses, pectin and gums)
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2. CLASSIFICATION
• Carbohydrates are classified on the basis of their molecular
size into
oMonosaccharides as their name indicates, (mono meaning
one and saccharide meaning sugar) are the simplest of
carbohydrates because they consist of a single sugar unit
EXAMPLE: glucose, fructose, galactose
oDisaccharides (‘di’, meaning two) contain two units of sugar
EXAMPLE: sucrose, lactose, maltose
o Polysaccharides as their name indicates, (‘poly’ meaning
many) consist of many units of sugar
EXAMPLE: starch, cellulose, glycogen
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3. EFFECT OF COOKING
• CARAMALIZATION
Carbohydrates, the sugars found in starches and in
fruits and vegetables, turn golden brown and form new
flavors when exposed to high temperatures.
 This transformation is called caramelization, and
indeed it is literally the process that causes sugar to turn
into caramel.
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4. • GELATINISATION
 The ability of starch to thicken mixtures in the presence of
heat
Temperature of gelatinization is unique to each starch
source
 • Starches vary with their ability to thicken
 • Some starches are more translucent than others
• Starch pastes vary in texture All are related to amylose /
amylopectin ratio
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5. • DEXTRINIZATION
 During the heating process, the starches within the food are
broken down (by a chemical reaction) into sugars called
dextrin.
Dextrin are brown in color and have a distinct taste and
consistency.
Producing dextrin therefore results in a change in color of
food to golden brown. This is the process called
dextrinization.
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6. FACTORS AFFECTING THE TEXTURE OF CARBOHYDRATES
•Dry Heat Effect: It leads to dextrinization. It is the
process by which the large starch structures enmeshed
together is broken down into smaller polysaccharides till
dextrin's are formed. This process has following effects :
A. Dextrin's reduce the thickening power of the starch in the
foods.
B. Bring about surface browning and color to food like
toasted roasted and baked products.
C. Changes the flavor as experienced with bread and toast.
D. Changes the texture of final products which become crisp
on the surface but retain their juiciness and natural flavors.
E . Imparts a delicate sweetness to products
F. Improves digestibility of starch food.
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7. •Effect of Moist Heat:
When starch or starchy food is subjected to moist heat
the starch granules take up the water and swell. The
granular wall burst and the starchy contents spill out to
mingle with water to form a solution which is milky in
appearance.
• Gelatinization: gels (viscous mixture) on further heating
the solution become transparent and forms a network of
amylose, amylopectin and water held together by
intermolecular bonds. All the free water gets enmeshed
in a matrix in directed by a coating on the back of the
spoon. The hot mixture when poured into a mould and
allowed to cool, sets into a form structure which when
unmolded retain the shapes of the container. This
process is called gelatinization.
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8. • Syneresis : When a molded starch is kept for a time in
the refrigeration or cut and after that put into some hot
water for a while so that starts and comes out of the
structure which is distributed . This process is reference
is synerisis.
• Retrogradation : when some cooked gels showing
synerisis inhibit further realignment of the amylopectin
fractions to further after the structure the process is
termed as the retrogradation.
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9. USE OF CARBOHYDRATES IN FOOD OPERATIONS
1. Thickening
2. Binding
3. Coating
4. Gelling
5. Browning
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