I could not write a vegan blog without singing the praises of the fantastic breakthrough which totally revolutionized the world of vegan cuisine. It was discovered in 2014 by a Frenchman called Joel Roessel who was a singer and a vegan blogger. He wanted to find something that was stable and dense enough which worked so he could produce the dessert iles flottantes (floating islands). Thanks to his dogged determination he discovered that chickpea water once whisked up could form foam creations, not unlike egg whites, plus it could also be used to replace whole eggs in baking. Vegans have so much to thank him for as before this such delights such as meringues, nougat, chocolate mousse and macarons were not in a vegans bakers repertoire. Now, this unappetizing looking, murky liquid we drain away from canned or the cooking liquid from boiling dry chickpeas not only has a name but has some very impressive superpowers. The name given is aquafaba which comes from the Latin aqua(water) faba (bean) simply put bean water ( I think aquafaba sounds more exciting and exotic). It has amazing powers that enable vegan cooks to create those delicious foods many once enjoyed such as lemon meringue pie, baked Alaska, ice cream, homemade mayonnaise, chocolate mousse, and many more possibilities.
Like many, I was very skeptical and could not imagine how this could possibly work. would things taste or smell funny? It was definitely worth a try. Like every person who has done this for the first time, I was blown away by what happened. I have made many things since and never again does it get thrown down the sink. It also keeps for a few days in the fridge and even freezes like egg white.
No longer are chickpeas the only hero in the tin or pan as aquafaba is now a recognized ingredient in itself with even powdered aquafaba available to buy. I prefer the canned liquid as not only is it much cheaper but also maybe it will get vegans to come up with more recipes in which to used use these nutrient-rich legumes which is always a plus.
I hope you enjoy my recipes in which I make full use of the amazing aquafaba.
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