What is Xanthan Gum?
A. For those keen on Sci-Fi, we’re sorry to report that despite having a name beginning with an ‘X’, Xanthan Gum comes only from humble planet Earth, and is a natural product – derived by a process of fermentation. It is a versatile and effective stabiliser and emulsifier which we use in dressings and mayonnaises. We use it in dressings to suspend ‘bits’ (like herbs) in the product so that they don’t immediately sink to the bottom of the bottle. In mayonnaise it is excellent for keeping the combination of oil and water in suspension. In our view it is preferable to corn starch or other supposedly more ‘natural’ thickeners as it gives a less ‘gloopy’ or wallpaper paste- like consistency. Unlike the Mysterons, Flash Gordon would have nothing to fear!
Xanthan Gum Xanthan gum is a long chain polysacharide composed of the sugars glucose, mannose, and glucuronic acid. The backbone is similar to cellulose, with added sidechains of trisacharides (three sugars in a chain).A polysacharide is a chain of sugars. Some familiar polysacharides are starch and cellulose.
Xanthan gum, a natural carbohydrate, is used along with non-gluten flours to give baked goods their elasticity and structure. Xanthan gum is made from a tiny microorganism called “xanthomonas campestris.” A pinch of xanthan gum added to homemade salad dressings helps build viscosity and improve the suspension of oil and vinegar and also helps to thicken oil-free salad dressings.
