On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1154

The Chinese are great admirers of
gelatinous textures, the semi-solid
stickiness of long-cooked gelatin-rich
connective tissue, and make soups from
several ingredients that in the West are
hardly considered to be edible. Beef
tendons are one example; they are
essentially pure connective tissue, and
whensimmeredforhoursdevelopatexture
that is simultaneously gelatinous and
crunchy.Sharkfinsareadelicacythatare
dried after being taken from that
cartilaginous fish, then rehydrated,
simmered in several changes of water to
remove off-flavors, and then simmered in
broth.
Most unusual of all are the nests of
cave-dwellingbirdsintheswallowfamily,
swiftletsofthegenusCollocalia,whichare
found throughout Southeast and South
Asia. The males build their nests up from
strands of their saliva, which stick to the


cave walls and dry to form a small but
strongcup.Theharvestednestsaresoaked
incoldwatertorinseoutimpuritiesandto
let them absorb water and swell. They’re
then simmered in broth, and enjoyed for
their semisolid, gelatinous consistency,
which is due not to gelatin itself, but to

salivary proteins called mucins, which are
relatedtothemucinsineggwhite(p.77).
Carrageenan,Alginates,Gellan
Experimentallymindedcooksareexploringa
numberofotherunusualcarbohydrategelling
agents,sometraditionalandsomenot.
Carrageenan,fromcertainredalgae(p.341),
haslongbeenusedinChinatogelstewsand
flavoredliquids,andinIrelandtomakeakind
ofmilkpudding.Purifiedfractionsofcrude
carrageenanproducegelswitharangeof
textures,frombrittletoelastic.Alginates
comefromanumberofbrownseaweeds,and
formgelsonlyinthepresenceofcalcium(in
milkandcream,forexample).Inventive