SC - Thickeners

[Christine A Seelye-King]

 So, where is arrowroot from originally? Was it used anywhere in
"period"?
> Anahita

> True arrowroot is Maranta arundinacea, from the American tropics.  
> There are some other plants which are called arrowroot and are in the
genera  Canna and Tacca.   
> Bear


You will also see kudzu/kuzu for sale from a company called Great
Eastern.  The label says "KUZU - Japanese Arrowroot".  We talk about this
in the Natural Foods Training Course I teach, the fact that even though
it isn't the same plant, the company is likening it to another plant with
similar characteristics.  Kindof like saying Cream of Wheat is Yankee
Grits.  It is made from the roots of the kudzu vine (yes, Meridians and
Atlantians, the very stuff we have - which was an import from Japan to
stop soil erosion!).  
Other thickeners we talk about as alternatives to gelatin (made from
animal protein), include Agar (aka Agar-Agar) a smelly red seaweed that
is dried into blocks, then shaved into translucent flakes.  It is the
substance in petri dishes.  One of the more amazing properties of agar is
that it will thicken while still warm, which will suprise you if you are
used to dealing with gelatin. 
 Another seaweed-based thickener is Irish Moss or Carageen (Carageenan). 
I don't know if this is used in period, but it does grow around the
British Isles, (and around the Bahamas) and is used by boiling the moss,
then draining it off and reserving the cooking fluid, discarding the moss
(health food types will eat the moss for other healthful benefits).  The
fluid will thicken.  I have a recipe for a carageenan based lemon chiffon
type dessert from an Irish cookbook.  

	Christianna


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