Kappa carrageenan

Carraghénane kappa

What it is

The word comes from Carraigín on the Waterford coast, where the moss was gathered and boiled into blancmange long before anyone isolated the fractions. Kappa is the brittle one: potassium sets it, and it grips milk casein so hard that a tenth of the dose water needs will thicken cream.

In the kitchen

Disperse it in the cold liquid, then take it above 80 °C or it never hydrates — it sets on the way back down, around 40 °C. Start at 0.8 % by weight for a sliceable gel, expect it to weep a little overnight, and firm it further with a pinch of potassium chloride.

Goes with

Cream Coconut milk Vanilla White sugar Natural cocoa powder Kanten (agar-agar)

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