Spherification - Molecular Gastronomy Cooking Technique
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by: ccruiserboyy
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In Molecular Gastronomy, Sodium Alginate and Calcium Chloride are combined to create spheres, caviar, pearls or ravioli. Sodium Alginate, a natural product is derived from the cell walls of brown algae. It is used in the food industry as a food thickener, to increase the viscosity of liquids and as an emulsifier. Calcium Chloride is a compound of calcium and chlorine. This compound is a salt, a solid and very water soluble. The use of Sodium Alginate in the restaurant industry allows for the concept of spheres or pearls. The idea being that a liquid is thickened with sodium alginate and submerged in a bath of calcium chloride to create spheres, also known as the process of spherification. Spherification in Molecular Gastronomy is a really awesome new concept that is starting to spread worldwide. At times the use of sodium alginate and calcium chloride can be reversed which is dependent on what elements are intact. For instance, a calcium rich solution of olive juice will benefit from the addition of a salty calcium chloride solution and a sodium alginate bath, whereas a sweeter fruit juices best practice is to use the calcium chloride as a bath and not a component of the sphere. Because calcium chloride tastes very salty and is used as an ingredient in some foods, especially pickles, to give a salty taste while not increasing the food's sodium content. Calcium Chloride can also be a compound you would use in sports drinks as an electrogyte, or in the production of many cheese varieties such as brie and stilton. Both sodium alginate and calcium chloride can be applied in many cooking situations, for example in thickening sauces and creating gels. Unlike gelatin you can heat/cook your sauce or gel without it melting and becoming a liquid. Used as an emulisifing agent and to increase viscosity, sodium alginate will help out in suspending particles within a solution, for example vanilla bean in a panna cotta will remain mixed throughout the mixture instead of sinking to the base of the finished product.
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