Essay On Hydrocolloids

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Hydrocolloids Hydrocolloids, or more specifically, “gums” have been changing the way modern day chef’s have been making food. The use of hydrocolloids allows a chef to reshape and change texture using food all without sacrificing flavor. However, over time due to the mass use of “gum” in industrially packed / manufactured food, hydrocolloids have been given a bad name in today’s culinary generation. Names like, “Xanthum Gum” and the health craze driven tide in society have scared off people from a potentially useful product. Today, chefs of all levels, especially world class pioneer chefs all around the world, experiment with hydrocolloids to achieve a new level of cuisine ahead of the curve. There are many hydrocolloid substances that may be used in the kitchen and each of their functions vary. A …show more content…

Many things change and alter how a hydrocolloid substance reacts. Factors added to hydrocolloid mixtures, such as water depending on the amount, can yield a gel or liquid substance. When heat is added or eliminated, the hydrocolloid mixture’s physical behavior changes. They may thicken at low doses to make a gel substance, some may be used as emulsifiers and others may also be used as whipping agents to create foams. When a hydrocolloid is dissolved in water, the water gathers around and is attracted to the sugar units, forming a layer of water with restricted movement. It is this ability to organize and control water that gives hydrocolloids their ability to thicken and gel. With the exception of gelatin, which is a protein, hydrocolloids are polysaccharides (fats) and or complex sugars (carbohydrates). Which is another interesting thing, Hydrocolloids come in all three forms of nutrients. The properties of any hydrocolloid are based on its physical structure (sugars made from) and its chemical properties: size, charge, and the

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