Do you avoid or like charred parts of foods? (grilled, healthy, pizza)

[vision33r]

I tend to request for more charred meats and even grilled vegetables. I've seen people who cut off burnt areas of foods to avoid eating them. Because charred food is supposed to be carcinogenic and cancer causing.

Do you you like or dislike the taste of burnt food?

[George Chong]

I like caramelized but not burnt.

[hertfordshire]

Yep. Agreed ^^^^

[ccm123]

I like slightly charred (as the edges on roast pork, or steak, or carnitas).

I used to order rib-eye or New York steaks charred on the outside and very pink in the middle.

[bellakin123]

Depends on what it is and how it's cooked. I do love me some burnt ends from time to time but I also love pizza cooked in a wood burning oven to have a little char on it too.


I also like my toast on the well done side.


Caramelized/slightly charred veggies, yes. Burnt, no.

[vision33r]

It maybe hard to distinguish burnt and caramelized, since often smoked meats have charred endings or burnt crusts forming outside. Smoked brisket is usually burnt on the outside but if you cut it off there goes a ton of flavor.

Same for ribs where the charred skins are the most flavorful.

As for toasts, I sort of like very heart breads like rye or wheat burnt on the outside to have that smokey toasted flavor. Same thing brick oven pizzas you can't avoid the bottom being burnt.

[bellakin123]

Originally Posted by vision33r

It maybe hard to distinguish burnt and caramelized, since often smoked meats have charred endings or burnt crusts forming outside. Smoked brisket is usually burnt on the outside but if you cut it off there goes a ton of flavor.

Same for ribs where the charred skins are the most flavorful.

As for toasts, I sort of like very heart breads like rye or wheat burnt on the outside to have that smokey toasted flavor. Same thing brick oven pizzas you can't avoid the bottom being burnt.

And that's why I like the brick oven pizzas

[in_newengland]

I always thought that burned/charred meat caused cancer so I don't eat it. I don't like it anyway just as I don't like burned toast. Looks like the studies are still non-conclusive but more studies are always coming out. Could be that someday they'll have conclusive proof that it does cause cancer. There are enough carcinogens out there so why add another? I like my meat well done but not burned.

Can eating burnt toast cause cancer? | Science Focus

[elnina]

Charred food - what's good about it ? It's black-burnt, and very unhealthy. I avoid it.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by vision33r

It maybe hard to distinguish burnt and caramelized, since often smoked meats have charred endings or burnt crusts forming outside.

Generally, caramelized means when carbohydrates (especially sugars) are heated and turn brown. The results are delicious.
Burnt is the next step, when the caramelization crosses the line into burning - which is most definitely not delicious.
Taking a food to the point of caramelization - but not beyond - takes attention and some practice.
With smoked meat, there might be some charred endings or burnt crusts, when they turn into charcoal- they taste bitter, and should be removed. Many desirable flavor molecules are also destroyed by the heat of a more intense fire.