Aquafaba (from Latin aqua – water, faba – beans, beans) is a viscous liquid that remains after cooking legumes. Highly appreciated by all who cannot eat eggs.
History of appearance
Legumes have been boiled for centuries, but the use of the water remaining in the process was invented not so long ago. This is facilitated by the popularization of the vegan food system. In 2014, Frenchman Joel Rossel found that water from canned beans forms a protein-like foam. And he shared his experiences with friends: he published recipes for mousse and meringue from chickpea liquid on his blog, which many liked. In the spring of 2015, a group of enthusiasts was created on Facebook to promote aquafaba.
Benefit and harm
Aquafaba consists mainly of water and a small amount of dry matter leftover from legumes. The solution has no special nutritional value, useful microelements are contained in microscopic quantities, but it cannot cause harm either. Aquafaba is not indicated only in case of individual intolerance to legumes.
What does aquafaba taste like
Fairly neutral, slightly sweet, starchy taste.
How it is
Aquafaba whips into a strong foam and successfully replaces egg whites in vegan recipes for pasta, nougat, fudge, soufflé, meringue, marshmallows. With the help of liquid, you can make cake-cream, icing, ice cream, vegan mayonnaise.
How and how much to store
Aquafaba can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days after boiling legumes, and frozen for several months.
Curious facts
- In the UK and the US, aquafaba is sold in health food stores. It’s made by a company that makes hummus and boils a lot of chickpeas for it.
- One egg white is equivalent to 30 ml of aquafaba. It’s about 2 tablespoons.
- The longer the beans are boiled and the higher the cooking temperature, the more gelling substances pass into the decoction.