Tragacanth
What it does
Thickener/emulsifier.
How it's made
Sap of Astragalus shrubs.
Tragacanth (gum tragacanth) is a natural thickener, stabiliser and emulsifier obtained as a plant exudate — a gum that seeps from the stems of certain Astragalus shrubs in the Middle East. It is used in dressings, sauces, confectionery and icings, and is valued for being stable in acidic conditions.
It is collected by making incisions in the stems and roots of the shrubs, from which the gum oozes out and dries into ribbons or flakes on the plant. These dried exudate pieces are gathered by hand, then sorted by grade, cleaned and milled into a powder.
The milled gum is purified and standardised. It swells in water to form a thick paste rather than fully dissolving, giving it good thickening and emulsifying properties even in acidic products; because it is gathered as a natural plant secretion in relatively small quantities, it is one of the more expensive gums, and it is plant-derived and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Possible reactions
Rare allergy; generally safe.