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In Molecular Gastronomy, Sodium Alginate and Calcium Chloride are mixed together 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 cooking world as a food thickener, to increase the viscosity of liquids and as an emulsifier. Calcium Chloride is a compound of calcium and chlorine. It is a salt that is solid at room temperature and is highly soluble in water. The use of Sodium Alginate in the cooking world 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 extremely salty and is used as a component in many 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 other areas of cooking, 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 helps suspend 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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To learn more about Spherification visit www.efoodschool.com! Visit Spherification - Molecular Gastronomy Cooking Technique.
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