Phycocyanin ✦

Phycocyanine

What it is

The blue is a protein, not a dye: phycocyanin is the antenna spirulina uses to catch the wavelengths chlorophyll lets past, and it fluoresces deep red under UV light. The Aztecs skimmed the same organism off Lake Texcoco and dried it into cakes they called tecuitlatl.

In the kitchen

Dissolve it in cold liquid and add it off the heat at the very end - above about 45 C it greys, and below pH 4.5 the blue slides to violet. That shift is worth using on purpose: a squeeze of lemon over a blue meringue turns it purple in front of you.

Goes with

White chocolate White sugar Coconut Lemon Yogurt Matcha Egg Vanilla

Something wrong here, or missing? Tell us