Cork-like flavour in "tasteless" Xanthan Gum

I recently discovered xanthan gum and bought a jar to try this amazing thickener for myself. When opening the jar I however noticed a slightly "corked" smell to the powder itself. I made a thick (~5g/1L) mixture with water to see if the taste was noticable, which it was. It was also noticeable in a thinner sweet cherry dessert sauce.

All sources online refer to xanthan gum as being completely tasteless - did I just get a bad batch? For reference, the brand and specific product is Sosa Pure xantham gum.

Best Answer

OK to sum up what this is. This can be a multitude of things separate or combined. Since its a cork smell, i would say throw that batch out and get a new one and try it. If its the same thing, then report it on their website (If they have one) and just get a different brand. it might be molding, or staling of the gum. Either that or they make Juicy fruit gum out of the game stuff and its just not reliable. ANYWAYS, i would say get a different brand nonetheless and try that.

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Does xanthan gum have a weird taste?

Xanthan gum is one of the most useful food additives around; it is effective in a wide range of viscosities, temperatures, and pH levels. It is easy to use, has no taste, and generally works quite well.

What flavor is xanthan gum?

Xanthan gum has a very neutral flavor so it mixes well with foods without masking their flavor. It provides an improved mouthfeel for many preparations, slightly thickening a liquid similar to how traditionally reducing a liquid does.

What is the texture of xanthan gum?

Xanthan GumNamexanthan (E415)Texturehigh viscosity, shear-thinning; thermoreversible soft elastic gels with locust bean gum or konjacClarityclear, mostly transparentDispersioncold or hot water; dispersion can be improved by mixing with sugar (10x) or glycerol, alcohol or vegetable oil.13 more rows

Does xanthan gum have a scent?

We usually go through a bag of Xanthan Gum fairly quickly (two months or less), however I have seen written on the bags 1 to 2 years. We keeps ours in a tupperware container in the fridge. And it can develop a distinctly sharp, pungent smell when it turns.

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