Gum arabic — the dried sap of acacia trees — is one of the oldest emulsifiers and stabilisers in cooking. Highly soluble yet barely thickening, it holds citrus oils in soft drinks, stabilises foams and glazes, keeps sugar from crystallising, and binds in classic confections.
PAIR's modernist science — how much to use, how it behaves with heat, and what makes it fail — is a Pro feature. The description, nutrition, history and facts stay free.