The use of foam in cuisine has been used in many forms in the history of cooking. For example, whipped cream, meringue, and mousse are all foams. In these cases, the incorporation of air or another gas creates a lighter texture and/or different mouth feel. More recently, foams have become a part of molecular gastronomy technique. In these cases, natural flavors (such as fruit juices, infusions of aromatic herbs, etc.) are mixed with a neutrally-flavored gelling or stabilizing agent such as agar or lecithin, and either whipped with a hand-held immersion blender or extruded through a whipped cream canister equipped with N2O cartridges. Such foams add To form a stable foam and emulsion, a surfactant, such as lecithin, monoglycerides or proteins, must be present to reduce the interfacial tension between the air/oil phase and the aqueous phase. If the surfactants are at equal concentrations at the interface, proteins are generally less effective than small surfactants, such as lecithin or monoglycerides, at decreasing the interfacial tension.

ESPUMA BASICS

CULINARY SOCIAL NETWORK

VOL. 1

Foams consist of two phases, an aqueous phase and a gaseous (air) phase. Foams have been used in many forms in the history of cooking, for example: whipped cream, ice cream, cakes, meringue, bread, souffls, mousse and marshmallow. It has a unique light texture because of the tiny air bubbles and/or a different mouth feel. In most of these products, proteins are the main surface active agents that help in the formation and

stabilization of the dispersed gas phase. To create a protein-stabilized foam, it usually involves bubbling, whipping or shaking a protein solution and its foaming properties refers to its capacity to form a thin tenacious film at the gas-liquid interface for large amounts of gas bubbles to become incorporated and stabilized.

When protein concentrations are increased to their maximum value the foaming powers and foam formation are generally increased. Often to compare foaming properties of various proteins, the foaming power at a specific protein concentration is determined.

A protein will always have certain stresses that is must over come, such as gravitational and mechanical, its the proteins ability to stabilize foam against these stresses that determines the foams stability. The foams stability is usually expressed as the time required for 50% of the liquid to drain from foam (a 50% reduction in foam volume).

WHAT ARE ESPUMAS?

THE PROS AND CONS OF ESPUMA EMULSIFICATION

POTATOES GIVE YOUR SAVOURY ESPUMA A VELVET LIKE TEXTURE.TRY THICKENING YOUR CREAM BASED ESPUMA WITH PLAIN BOILED NON-STARCHY POTATO.

EGG YOLK IS THE MOST VERSATILE THICKENER FOR ALL HOT AND COLD ESPUMAS.THE YOLK ENRICHES THE FLAVOR OF ALL CREAM BASED ESPUMAS.

XANTANA GUM WILL BE YOUR SAFEST BET. IN REGARDS TO STABILTY AND HOLDING TIMES, PROPERLY APPLIED, IT WILL BE A LIFESAVER DURING SERVICE.+PROS

MAKE SURE TO PROCESS THE POTATOES INTO A FINE MASH WITHOUT OVER PROCESSING THEM, OR YOU WILL END UP WITH A GOOEY ESPUMA

IT IS ONLY HEAT RESISTANT UNTIL 76 CELSIUS. EVERYTHING BEYOND THAT JUST MEANS THAT YOU HAVE TO CLEAN YOUR ESPUMA FOR A GREAT DEAL OF TIME. SOMETIMES THE FLAVOUR OF EGG IS NOT IN SOME MILK-BASED, OR FRUIT BASED ESPUMAS

WITH ALL MOLECULAR INGREDIENTS, 1 GRAM MORE OR LESS DECIDES BETWEEN VICTORY OR FAIL. GIVING THE GUM ENOUGH TIME TO DISPERSE IN THE LIQUID IS THE KEY, BUT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME ON YOUR HANDS.-CONS

STAY TUNED FOR THE SECOND PART OF OUR ESPUMA SERIES: ESPUMA EQUIPMENT