Porcine gelatin still tends to dominate much of the worldwide production, especially in Europe, but elsewhere bovine gelatin is increasingly common piscine and avian sources account for less than 2% of total production. A lesser amount is derived from piscine sources (fish skin) – both cold and warm water species – and an even smaller quantity from avian (poultry) sources. The great majority of gelatin is produced from porcine (pork) or bovine (beef) sources – predominately from skins and hides, but also from bones ( ossein). Gelatin is mostly protein, which is derived from collagen, which only comes from animal sources. It’s dry composition is roughly 87-92% protein, 7-12% water, and about 1% ash. Indeed, most gelled dishes up to that point – savory and sweet – began with calves feet, much like this recipe for blancmange from the classic 1832 cookbook by Eliza Leslie, Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats:Ģ. And though its culinary value became better understood and exploited over the centuries, the commercial gelatin we take for granted today did not begin to appear until the early 19th century. It’s believed that the earliest ancient forms of gelatin were not put to use in food per se, but rather as crude glues and adhesives. It’s easy to see how it evolved over the years into terms we use today, such as congeal, helado, gelato, and specifically gelée and jelly. The word g elatin has its roots in the Latin verb gelāre, to freeze, but eventually began to refer to any general transformation of a liquid into a solid – gelāta. Hopefully with a bit of guided navigation through the complex world of gelatin others can benefit as I have, with a better informed launching point from which to make those choices and explore new territory…ġ. As with many aspects of cooking, there aren’t always hard and fast rules or optimal ways of doing things there is always room here for personal preference. What I will attempt to do here is quickly cover some of the basics gleaned from practical experience, some experimental testing, and a lot of technical reading. Gelatin serves as a prime example of how subtle nuance with regard to ingredients and how we handle them can either lock us into a state of perpetual frustration or liberate us with better control, refinement, and creativity. Whether discussing gelatin in front of students who have had little or no exposure to it, or with seasoned pros who use it every day, I’ve come to realize that a lot of cooks see gelatin – as I did for many years – through a lens of vague, misleading, or just-plain-wrong information, however well-intended its source. Gelatin – few products are as ubiquitous in the kitchen yet so wrought with confusion and potential for misuse.
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