The Lightest Light Dessert

Food design studio Bompas & Parr has produced a meringue that is so light and airy that a serving weighs only one gram. The designers consulted with the makers of Aerogel in Germany to turn egg whites into air and fluff. Aerogel is made by removing the water from a gel and replacing it with a gas.

The process used to create the meringue begins with a hydrogel of egg white, which is cast in a mould before being submerged in a bath of calcium chloride and water.

The liquid in the jelly is then replaced with liquid carbon dioxide, which can be transformed into gas during a process known as super-critical drying.

The gas is removed by venting, leaving behind nothing but the skeleton of the original gel. This results in a meringue comprising 96 per cent air and weighing just one gram.

It looks nice and is probably easy to transport, but where’s the sugar? It seems like a crucial ingredient if you are going to call something a “dessert.” Unfortunately, my kitchen is missing some important equipment needed for this recipe. Boompas & Parr describes it as “a taste of the sky,” but we have yet to hear from anyone who has eaten the Aerogel Meringue. Read more about it at Dezeen.

[via Nag on the Lake]