Ingredient Information

Function

Acacia is a category of trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae. Gum Acacia is also known as gum Arabic, chaar gund, char goond, and meska. It is a natural gum made from the hardened sap taken from two species of Acacia tree. It is a mixture of polysaccharides and glycoproteins used in food as a stabilizer, and has the food E number of E414. The seed pod of Acacia is used in desserts and other sweets. It is ground, turned into a paste or extract form and is added to dishes for its flavor. Gum Acacia is commonly used in soft drinks, gummy candies, marshmallows, chocolate candies, edible glitter, and cake-decorating items. Regularly consumed in the Middle East, Palestinians eat the natural gum chilled, as a sweetened gelato dessert.

Acacia are widely used in Australia in numerous recipes. Aborigines roasted and ground acacia seeds for their strong coffee-like flavoring. It can be used in soups, salads, and as a side dish for complimenting meat dishes. Australians use them in biscuits after they have been ground into a flour. The shoots from the Acacia pennata, commonly called cha-om or so pout ywet, are used in soups, curries, and stir-fries in Laos, Burma, and Thailand. They are common in vegetarian dishes and are considered to be one of the top ten ingredients used for vegetarian menus. Acacia seeds are called Guajes in Mexico. They are usually light green or red in color and are the size of small Lima beans.

Other Use and Industries

Gum Acacia has been used in the making of traditional lithography, as well as in printing, paint manufacturing, glues, and cosmetics. Acacia is used in the manufacture of paints, adhesives and ink. Acacia gum is often used to made medicines and in herbal treatment of ailments. It is also used in the manufacturing of perfumes and incense.

Health Effects

Gum Acacia has been used to treat kidney disease and chronic renal failure. It is high in dietary fiber, with fiber being 85% of the total make up. Gum Acacia is also a prebiotic. It has been reported to help in wound healing and inhibit the growth of periodontal bacteria. It has been known to be useful in the treatment of rabies, and for lowering of LDL cholesterol. It has also been linked in aiding digestion, skin rashes, and wound healing.

A possible negative side effect of Gum Acacia is that it may inhibit growth of serum cholesterol. Some negative properties of acacia have been linked to causing gas, bloating and in the case of those allergic to Acacia, incidences of asthma attacks and rashes have been documented.

Origins

Gum Acacia comes from the Acacia tree, which is known as Acacia Senegal and Acacia seyal. It is harvested commercially from wild trees throughout the Sahel, from Senegal and Sudan to Somalia. Historically, Gum Acacia was cultivated in Arabia and West Africa in 1773. It is the main export of African nations. Hardened extrusions are collected in mid rainy season (July) and exported in dry season (November). Ancient Egyptians used Gum Acacia in the mummification process.

It has been found to grow in the tropical climates of Asia, America, Australia, Africa and Europe. The seeds and gum are extracted from the plant and used. The bark and seeds all find uses in different industries. They are a pod-bearing plant with sap and leaves that produce large amounts of tannins. Condensed tannins that have been historically used in preservatives. In Australia they are commonly known as wattles. Acacia seeds have a variety of flavors and are considered to be highly nutritious.