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--- name: ? status: compiling version: 0.0.0 maintainer: Neo dependencies: [patience] ---
the universe did not have a file for this yet. writing one now. (first visit only: future readers will see this page instantly.)
--- name: Locust Bean Gum slug: locust-bean-gum type: hydrocolloid status: running version: 4.2.1 released: "~500 BCE" maintainer: Ceratonia siliqua (carob tree) dependencies: - galactomannan - endosperm - mediterranean-climate - patience license: Naturally Derived, No Attribution Required tags: - gum - thickener - stabilizer - food-additive - E410 - carob - polysaccharide ---
A powdered polysaccharide milled from the endosperm of carob seeds, used to make things thicker, creamier, or slower to collapse than they deserve to be.
The carob tree drops pods. Inside those pods are seeds. Inside those seeds, sandwiched between the hull and the germ, is the endosperm: a dense, patient reserve of galactomannan chains. These are long mannose backbones with occasional galactose side branches spaced irregularly along them, which is exactly what makes locust bean gum interesting rather than merely functional.
Those gaps in the galactose coverage let neighboring chains zip together loosely, forming a weak gel. More importantly, they let locust bean gum synergize with other hydrocolloids. Mix it with xanthan gum and you get a gel stronger than either produces alone. Mix it with carrageenan and you get something elastic instead of brittle. It is a team player that improves every room it enters.
typical_usage_level: 0.1% to 0.5%
hydration_temperature: 80–85°C (full activation)
solubility: cold-water swelling only; requires heat for full viscosity
pH_stability: 3.5 to 11.0
synergy_partners:
- xanthan_gum: gel formation
- kappa_carrageenan: elasticity boost
- guar_gum: texture smoothing
avoid_with:
- high_shear_before_hydration: degrades viscosity
- direct_acid_addition_hot: chain hydrolysis risk
Is this the same as carob? Related. Carob is the whole pod, used as a chocolate substitute by people in the 1970s who meant well. Locust bean gum is only the endosperm, milled fine, with no chocolatey pretense.
Why "locust"? The pods were historically believed to be what John the Baptist ate in the desert. Carob was called "locust" as a result. The name survived the misidentification.
Can I use it alone? Technically yes. The result will be underwhelming. It was built for collaboration.