Qimiq

[Tom Gengo]

I have just been introduced to Qimiq, the most revolutionary kitchen product of which I have heard since... probably fire (by the way, I was not around when fire was invented, lol.) I have just begun work as the Garde Manger chef at a resort on Isle of Palms, SC (outside Charleston) and the Banquet Chef for whom I have begun working told me about it. It will: keep your breads from staling, reduce fat in recipes by up to 80%,extend shelf life on many products (fresh or frozen) & keep your slaw from leaking amongst many other uses.

As Chef explained, it is a solution of 10% cream and 90% gelatin. My understanding of the product is that the gelatin is coated w/ the cream and as moisture leeks from a product (bread staling, slaw leaking, etc.) the gelatin network absorbs it.

Has anyone in egullet land heard of it? Uses? Downsides? Pls share your experiences, uses, etc.

If you have not heard of it, here is the link for review: http://www.qimiq.com/new/index.php?id=212&L=6#c1564

[Chris Amirault]

Fascinating -- seems like a dream come true for a lot of caterers, banquet chefs, etc. I went through the recipes and the basic prep step is adding a few grams of QimiQ to whatever liquid base you've got. Couldn't find a recipe for bread though: do you add QimiQ to the sponge? Can't figure out how cream and gelatin would incorporate without causing massive structural failure to most bread dough recipes.

[Fantastic Mr Fox]

On further investigation I found this,

"The process basically involves splitting of the cream molecules and the fat molecules, which are treated with gelatine to coat each particle.

Poulous says Qimic is a unique product which can serve as a partial or full substitute cream, creme fraiche, eggs,

gelatine, acid, emulsifiers, and extend presentation time, reduce drying out time, etc.

Basically the product prevents the migration of water which makes it useful in increasing presentation time of perishable preparations like mousses and egg dishes, for instance. This in turn has the effect of keeping compounds together."

Here's the link the PDF source

[Fantastic Mr Fox]

Also, this

though this site , a product manufacturer that uses Qimiq, says both that the gelatin comes from beef then says separately that it comes from pig. Either way, they say it is 1% gelatin.

[dougal]

Has anyone in egullet land heard of it? Uses? Downsides? Pls share your experiences, uses, etc.

If you have not heard of it, here is the link for review: http://www.qimiq.com/new/index.php?id=212&L=6#c1564

I have to say, it sounds pretty awful from the point of view of good food.

From the link given -

Cost savings – lower portion prices

Savings on ingredient costs

* Dishes made with QimiQ save on gelatin and expensive ingredients such as mascarpone, mozzarella, smoked salmon can be reduced by up to 50 %

Reduced waste

* Dishes made with QimiQ retain shape and quality for longer and can therefore be presented for sale for longer, meaning less waste

Extended shelf life

* Dishes made with QimiQ retain perfect stability, consistency and appearance for longer than those prepared traditionally, providing an extended shelf life

Stability

* Consistency, shape, appearance

* Dishes made with QimiQ not only retain their consistency, shape and appearance when stored at 6° C (43° F) but also on buffets when the cold chain is broken

Sounds like a caterer's dream and a customer's nightmare.

Is it supposed to be pronounced "gimmick" ?

[Chris Amirault]

Someone's gotta score some and tell us what's what!

[Chef Bradley]

First off, quimiq is 1% gelatin. We had the corporate chef demo some for us a few weeks ago, stuff is insane! He made hollandaise in an ISI can and it never broke. Said you could keep the can in a warm water bath all through service and not have any issues. Apparently, you can toss the unused sauce can in the cooler unopened and reheat it the next day! Pretty amazing stuff. I made a veggie terrene with it with no weepage.

[dougal]

First off, quimiq is 1% gelatin. ... I made a veggie terrene with it with no weepage.

Ummm ... if it contained Gelatin, real Gelatin, then you should be careful about feeding it to veggies. They might get VERY upset if they found out!

[jfield]

I agree with dougal. While it sounds like the product could reduce waste, just by virtue of its containing gelatin, it does not allow for true vegetarian cooking. Ovo-lacto veggies who adore cheesecake, for example, would no longer be able to order it. Or creme brule. I'd like to think that, if folks use this stuff, restaurants/caterers let their guests/clients know about it.

[Moopheus]

Savings on ingredient costs

* Dishes made with QimiQ save on gelatin and expensive ingredients such as mascarpone, mozzarella, smoked salmon can be reduced by up to 50 %

Sounds like a caterer's dream and a customer's nightmare.

Is it supposed to be pronounced "gimmick" ?

Indeed--from the diner's perspective, replacing cheese or lox with goop isn't likely to be perceived as an improvement. I mean, would you list it on the menu? Now improved! More goop! Less fish! Somehow, I don't think so. I don't know about you, but that's not really what I look for in a dinner out.

And what is a "cream molecule"?

[DickL]

But I haven't seen an answer to the basic question: does it affect the flavor and/or texture of the freshly prepared product? It's all well and good that the quality of something that was prepared several or many hours ago is better, but what is the starting point? Does it improve the fresh flavor and/or texture of anything, other than saving some sauces?

[John DePaula]

The half-life on that Hollandaise is like 10,000 years. COOL!

But seriously, what ever happened to honest food.

Next thing you know, they'll start splicing pig genes into tomatoes or making corn and soybeans "Monsanto ready"...

[bhholberg]

This needs to be disclosed on menus. It has a material effect on not only vegetarians and vegans, but also those who keep kosher and halal.

[CucinaDiva]

Mixing gelatin or gelatin-like products into sauces, cold or hot, to give them body and keep them from breaking or deflating is an old caterer's/restauranteur's trick. They've been doing it for decades. At least. Nothing new.

Adulterating foods (that would not normally be expected to have them) with undisclosed animal products is a legal nightmare just waiting to happen, as several people have already mentioned.

That said, yuck! Why would anyone who truly loved and respected good food do such a thing? Bread that never goes stale? Sounds kinda creepy to me. Hollandaise that has a half-life of a millenium or two? I don't think I want to eat that.

Can you say, "lazy, cheap, and no respect for food or customers"? Bet it's called a delivery system and is patented, though, so someone's feeling important.

Ouch! Was that too mean?

[Chuck Love]

I have just been introduced to Qimiq, the most revolutionary kitchen product of which I have heard since... probably fire (by the way, I was not around when fire was invented, lol.) I have just begun work as the Garde Manger chef at a resort on Isle of Palms, SC (outside Charleston) and the Banquet Chef for whom I have begun working told me about it. It will: keep your breads from staling, reduce fat in recipes by up to 80%,extend shelf life on many products (fresh or frozen) & keep your slaw from leaking amongst many other uses.

As Chef explained, it is a solution of 10% cream and 90% gelatin. My understanding of the product is that the gelatin is coated w/ the cream and as moisture leeks from a product (bread staling, slaw leaking, etc.) the gelatin network absorbs it.

Has anyone in egullet land heard of it? Uses? Downsides? Pls share your experiences, uses, etc.

If you have not heard of it, here is the link for review: http://www.qimiq.com/new/index.php?id=212&L=6#c1564

1995 A privately owned Austrian company, Hama Foodservice GmbH, located in Hof near Salzburg, develops and applies for a patent for QimiQ the first Cream Base.

1997 QimiQ launches on the Austrian foodservice and wholesale market

1998 HAMA Foodservice Ges.m.b.H. secures a license agreement with EMMI Butterzentrale AG, Lucerne, Switzerland to launch QimiQ in Switzerland

1998-1999 QimiQ patent and trademark are granted

1999 QimiQ launches on the Austrian retail market

2003 QimiQ wins the gold medal at the Mercury Awards 2002 in the “Food or Beverage Products” category, and is pronounced overall winner as the best and most innovative product

2004 QimiQ wins the ICD Award 2004 in the “Food Technology“ category as the best and most innovative product

QimiQ Cream Base is exported to:

Bahrain, Benelux, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Rumania, Scandinavia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Tyrol, Switzerland, Taiwan and United Arab Emirates.

QimiQ Handels GmbH Headquarters

Lettlweg 5

A-5322 Hof near Salzburg

Austria

t: + 43/ 6229/ 34 83 0

f: + 43/ 6229/ 34 83 30

e: office(at)qimiq.com

QimiQ International

QimiQ UK Ltd.

t: + 43/ 6229/ 34 83 - 250

e: office(at)qimiq.com

QimiQ Asia Ltd.

Suite 16d, Tregunter, Tower 3

14 Tregunter Path

Mid Levels, Hong Kong

t: + 852/ 2219 - 8083

f: + 852/ 2219 - 8081

e: dorothysanders(at)qimiqasia.com

[nickrey]

This is a link to the patent which explains the product in detail.

[CucinaDiva]

Sorry if I'm being hard-nosed, but whatever its mechanism, it's a big bad because it will allow animal products to be slipped in under the radar of people with dietary or religious restrictions against eating them. Bad and illegal.

You notice that one of their selling points is that it saves you money on expensive ingredients - I believe mascarpone was specifically mentioned. If you use less mascarpone, replacing part of it with QimiQ, do you then tell diners that they're getting a cheap version of the dish, a version with what amounts to high tech filler adulterating the good stuff? I doubt it.

How is this a good thing? It's cheating the customer.

Edited May 8, 2010 by heidih
Edit out personal comment (log)

[CucinaDiva]

I'm sensitive to these issues because I'm going through the labelling thing in another industry, so the inadequacy of food labelling requirements is a real red light for me. Even if we're talking packaged food, does the FDA require a breakdown of QimiQ's constituents on the label? As someone mentioned cheesecake, I'll use that example - would an ovo-lacto vegetarian, if they read the list of ingredients on the label, be able to tell that there were animal products in the mix?

In a catered or restaurant setting, though, all bets are off. It would have to be listed on the menu or a sign on the buffet, or the server would have to say, "Oh, by the way, there are pig and cow hooves in our hollandaise." Eeee! So, not happening. Maybe love the technology but hate the mess it will engender. Just because it got patented doesn't mean it's a good idea to use it - it only means it fulfilled its claims.

Edited May 8, 2010 by heidih
Edit out personal comment (log)

[Willspear]

I see no issue with the product as long as its not used to bolster a non meat dish that would be expected meat product free. Obvious issues would be making a veg terrine and then serving it to vegetarians but really if people are doing that they should suffer some backlash. so many terrines depend on gelatin for structure already so saying there is gelatin in it is not a problem

[CucinaDiva]

There are a wide variety of readily available, gelatin-like products approved for food use, which many chefs, at least ones I've known, use to avoid the whole animal product issue. Heck, is Jello even gelatin anymore? These products have been used in commercial ice cream forever, for example. The technology to develop QimiQ and the fact that it's based on, or paired with, cream, seem to be the only things setting this apart.

At the same time, I can see using a product like this, a stiffener/thickener, not necessarily QimiQ, to make a lighter cheesecake, or, as you mention, a non-leaky terrine, a fluffier mousse - lots of things you might want to "lighten up" in texture or calorie count while maintaining structure. I have no argument with the concept.

Their marketing bothers me - not saying you can lighten high fat dishes for the benefit of calorie conscious diners, but you can cheap out on the expensive ingredients, the subtext, to me, being "and no one will know." Yeah, putting words in someone's mouth.

But this kind of marketing strategy is going to appeal to corporate bean counters who will only see, ooh, saving money, not, oops, we're going to be sued. Much less, our food may suck. It argues a lack of respect for the food and the diner.

Can you, anyone, see any strategy besides making "lite" versions of popular dishes that could be done with this product without subterfuge? I mean, how would you gracefully bring that whole hoof-y thing to diners attention?

Does anyone know if this issue is addressed by the FDA? I know the presence of nuts or nut oils in products has to be there, even if it has none but is made where products with nuts are also made. But this whole vegetarian-vegan-religious dietary thing, is it addressed anywhere?

[CEMC]

I agree if you sell it as a vegetarian Dish, lots of folks like to eat a veggie terrine just for eating heart healthy and with only one perzent of Gelatin, as I understand a refined Gelatine, made from Cow hide, same as the use in Capsles and Bills Tylanol or Aleeve we use daily, so lets figure out for a deep dish filled with Vegetables and only 15% of QimiQ is needed to stabilize the Sauce your using in the Recipe how much Gelatin is in there really?? i unserstand anytime you cook with Fish-Chicken-Beef-Pork you will have Gelatin in the .??

[Moopheus]

Heck, is Jello even gelatin anymore?

Yes.

These products have been used in commercial ice cream forever, for example.