Unusual ingredients: Aquafaba

Not many foods have their own web pages, but www.aquafaba.com is dedicated solely to the liquid found in tins of chickpeas and beans. The website was registered in 2015 by a software engineer in Indiana, Goose Wohlt. Along with a 45,000-person Facebook group devoted to the liquid, Wohlt chose its name, combining the Latin words for water (aqua) and bean (faba).

Aquafaba is the thick liquid that results from soaking or cooking legumes like beans, peas or chickpeas. It is currently being hailed as a miracle ingredient in vegan circles because it’s turned out to be the ideal egg replacer: natural, cost-effective and virtually indistinguishable from egg whites when used in the right way. It can be used to make superb egg-free versions of meringues, mayonnaise, ice cream, butter, cakes and much more.

Sadly, there aren’t many nutritional benefits to aquafaba — just trace amounts of protein — but it’s not bad for you in any way and, for vegans and those with egg allergies, it’s a veritable kitchen miracle.