NOURISH | feature
AMAZING
F A A U B Q A A JUST THE VEGAN-ING
Innovation in food often comes in one of two forms. The first, most beloved to foodies, is the re-imaging of old ingredients such as ancient grains—think quinoa. The second, more appealing to corporations and molecular gastronomists, is the development of new compositions and techniques—often patented. As a foodie, scientist and patent attorney, I appreciate both forms. Therefore, imagine my delight when a new ingredient turns up which defies the norm and has amazing qualities, that uses waste by-products and has little history plus inexplicable science behind those qualities. Something truly out of the box. Welcome to aquafaba! Aquafaba is an egg substitute, the new darling of vegans and those who have to be egg free. The Italian derived name (only coined in 2015) is reflective of its origin—water bean. Yes, this is the slightly slimy liquid we normally drain and discard from our canned chickpeas (preferably), beans, tofu and other legumes.
This is enhanced by adding acid (e.g. vinegar, cream of tartar, lemon juice) which slows clumping (coagulation) of the protein strands allowing more air to be introduced along with less drying to give greater strength. Voila! The perfect pav! Aquafaba meringues (see recipe on page 10) are made in a similar fashion to pavlovas as above; therefore protein is the likely culprit. Na-uh! Surprisingly, the protein content of the juice is only 1% compared with the 10% of egg white. Protein on its own cannot solely contribute to the end structure.
Miraculously, it can be used instead of eggs (and sometimes cream) to produce credible meringues, pavlova, macaroons, mousse, mayonnaise, brownies, ice cream and the list goes on …
The next suspect is saponins, a class of compounds that are soapy and have foaming qualities; therefore possibly part of aquafaba, particularly having regard to its sliminess.
I was first introduced to this product via my newly vegan daughter. Despite knowing her to be a gifted foodie and scientifically thorough, I was still sceptical as to the outcome of whipping chick pea juice to make meringues. To my surprise the meringues, accompanied by coconut yoghurt and blueberries, were delicious!
Na-uh!
The meringue structure was indistinguishable from classic meringues—crisp, light and with height. The taste, on its own while pleasant, had some mildly sour overtones. These were countered by the coconut yoghurt (non-dairy, fermented coconut cream) that, along with the blueberries, provided creaminess and sharpness. A berry compote with some sugar would have been even more complementary. Curious as to how something that is so different to egg (at least on the surface) could mimic its properties, I investigated (via my friend Madame Google) what the magic juice contained. I expected a significant amount of protein. Egg white has 10% protein and chick peas themselves 29%. It is the protein in egg whites that contributes largely to the structure of meringues and the like as follows. Protein molecules are in the form of multiple long strands, like wool. When beaten, some of the strands are broken, enabling the protein to form longer skinnier but weaker lengths (think of unravelled wool). Beating also incorporates air into the mix, trapping the air as bubbles between the weakened protein strands and forms a foam. VEGAN MERINGUES find the recipe on page 10
Adding sugar after the foam has formed causes the sugar to bond with the proteins, adding strength (plus some water) and eventually a meringue structure emerges that is around eight times the volume of unbeaten egg whites.
Saponins only contribute a small percentage to the composition— around 0.003%—not enough. Regrettably, aquafaba is so new that the science behind it cannot be fully explained at the time of writing this article; however, we do know the following: + Chickpea water is best, followed by white beans, red beans and tofu + Leftover canned juice works well, but you can boil your own legumes and use that water + One tablespoon of aquafaba equals one egg yolk + Two tablespoons of aquafaba equals one egg white + Three tablespoons of aquafaba equals one egg I encourage you to have fun by trying this crazy new ingredient. As it’s so new and we are still exploring its possibilities, keep researching new recipes and see how far you can go. Enjoy! Kate Wilson | Prof’s @ Woodlands www.profs.co.nz
Kate Wilson Kate Wilson is the ultimate foodie from all angles. Originally her physics and chemistry degrees led her to horticultural research, then to a career as an internationally recognised intellectual property (IP) strategist, patent attorney and managing partner of James & Wells where she advised the food industry on numerous IP issues—plus wrote and presented extensively.
words & recipes KATE WILSON | photography BRYDIE THOMPSON
During that time she remained a keen gardener, appeared on MasterChef and published her cookbook Platter Chatter. Now she is immersed in cafe culture as proprietor of Prof’s@ Woodlands where she is working on creating the ultimate blend of great food, service and atmosphere.