Gum arabic

Gum arabic (E414) is a natural additive obtained from the bark of two types of acacia trees, Senegalia senegal and Vachellia seyal. The gum is harvested commercially from wild trees throughout the Sahel from Senegal to Somalia, although it has been historically cultivated in Arabia and West Asia. It is colourless, tasteless and odourless and is used in food processing to thicken, emulsify and stabilise foods such as sweets eg marshmallows, ice cream and sweet syrups.

In molecular gastronomy it is also used as a thickener and emulsifier and is suitable for the production of foams