Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide thickener and stabiliser made by fermenting sugars with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. A pinch dissolves in hot or cold liquid to thicken it, suspend solids and keep oil and water from separating — with no flavour of its own. It is one of the workhorses of both modernist and everyday cooking.
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.