Common name:
Peru: Black aracanth, black stick
Chile: Chascón, I flee black.
Distribution and Biology:
It is found along the South American Pacific coast, from Peru to the sub-Antarctic regions of Chile (the Falkland Islands and the Kerguelen Islands). It inhabits areas with strong waves. It is dark olive green in color and forms long stems that end in flat, flexible leaves. Adult plants can grow up to 6 m long.
Applications:
This species is harvested by artisanal fishing organizations in rural coastal areas. It is primarily used in the alginate industry, but it is also used in fertilizers and for microdermabrasion treatments in humans. Sodium alginate is a polysaccharide derived from brown algae. Although it can be used as a thickener, its most notable role in modern cooking is to enable “spherification.” When alginate dissolved in a liquid mixture reacts rapidly with another calcium-rich liquid (such as calcium chloride or gluconolactate), it solidifies very quickly, creating a highly stable and durable structure. To give an example, let’s imagine we’ve made a fruit syrup in which we’ve dissolved alginate. If we take a tablespoon of the syrup and gently add it to a mixture of water and calcium salts, within a few seconds the area where the syrup and water meet solidifies, forming a sphere. The outer layer of this sphere will have a jelly bean-like texture, while its interior remains liquid. When a diner places one of these spheres in their mouth, they experience an “explosion” of flavor: as the tongue applies pressure, the sphere bursts, releasing the liquid—in this case, the fruit syrup—into the mouth. Spherification can be used with both sweet and savory ingredients.
And depending on where we use the alginate, we will discuss:
Direct spherification, in which the alginate is mixed with the product we are going to consume (as in the example of fruit syrup).
Reverse spherification, in which the alginate is added to the aqueous solution in which the product to be spherified is subsequently immersed.
The sodium alginate must be added in a fine, even layer to prevent lumps from forming. It should then be mixed very vigorously, preferably using an electric hand mixer. Once added to the food (direct spherification) or to the bath (reverse spherification), it is important to let the mixture rest for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before beginning to make the spheres. A dose of about 4 grams of alginate per liter is typically used. It is important to note that spherification does not occur properly in highly acidic mixtures with a pH lower than 3.8. In such cases, the pH must be raised using products such as sodium citrate.
Visit our Spherification Recipes section to see what kinds of dishes you can make.
Sodium alginate, as we mentioned at the beginning, can also be used as a thickener. It is commonly found in ice cream, where it improves the texture and also acts as a stabilizer.
The alginate comes in powder form and can be stored without any problems.
We are manufacturers and exporters. If you are interested, please contact me via WhatsApp at +51968610577. Email: seaweed.peru@gmail.com Contact us for more information
