If you ask most folks, they probably wouldn't be familiar with the word aquafaba. In reality, many have probably come in contact with it, and more importantly, have poured it right down the drain. Aquafaba is another name for bean juice. Yes, the juice that your canned beans are floating in.
Aquafaba (Latin combination word - aqua (water) and faba (beans) has gained popularity in the last couple of years due to the finding by a vegan American software engineer named Goose Wohlt. He discovered it in an attempt to create meringues for a Passover seder without using eggs. He whipped up the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans and voila, his egg replacement was born.
This is a huge delight for vegans and some are calling this a "miracle ingredient". People with an egg allergies are also pretty happy to see this ingredient come along. Another benefit is that it would eliminate the risk of foodborne illnesses when used in recipes in place of raw eggs. Bartenders are even using it as the foamy top to certain cocktails, which in the past has been made with eggs.
Commercial use will be growing and we'll soon see it listed as an ingredient in products on our supermarket shelves. It definitely helps that some top chefs such as Dan Barber are incorporating it in dishes at their restaurants. There are even cookbooks being developed that showcase this innovative ingredient.
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Today's Dietician about the versatility of this wonder ingredient that's been right under our nose all the time.