Chef has discovered an enzyme...

[yimay]

the chinese have wonton skins that are made out of meat. really! i'm sure they are bound with some kind of starch. they are tasty!

[ducphat30]

If I say trans*&(%+)m!nase would I be close??

[jackal10]

Chitinase? (although chitin is a polysaccheride, rather than a protein)

[jackal10]

I am told on good but anonymous authority that the enzyme is called transglutaminase and is produced by a Japanese firm called Ajinomoto, under the trade name Activa http://www.activatg.com/, and many other web articles. It works by binding glutamine residues in proteins together. Its used commercially to improve texture in meat products like hams and chicken rolls, block surimi, and improve texture and reduce syneresis (weeping) in set yogurts. It is derived from microbial fermentation.

Wylie was an early adopter, but not the first chef to use it.

The enzyme has a lot of really interesting potentials. to give increased water retention, and to give creaminess and high-fat mouthfeel to low fat products.

[fiftydollars]

"...Attach bacon to the surface of meat..."

The site also says that you can use this to "cold bond" meat to other meat.

The idea of welding meat sounds pretty interesting. I am not sure what other applications it might be good for, but it could come in handy when I am preparing a stuffed chicken or veal breast.

I didn't locate any information about how to get my hands on this stuff... Anyone know? ...and how much does this stuff cost (there is an email link on the site, but I haven't gotten a response yet)?

Edited December 31, 2004 by fiftydollars (log)

[culinary bear]

The enzyme has a lot of really interesting potentials. to give increased water retention, and to give creaminess and high-fat mouthfeel to low fat products.

glad he 'discovered' it...

I'm wondering about the mechanical differences in action between polyphosphates and TGA regarding water retention...

[646522]

Somebody tell culinary bear I'll be happy to send him some.

-wd

[woodburner]

-wd

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woodburner

[NulloModo]

Somebody tell culinary bear I'll be happy to send him some.

-wd

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If this is legit, I would seriously fork over some cash to _buy_ some.

[fiftydollars]

-wd

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woodburner

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That goes double for me

Is the shrimp pasta a regular item on the menu?

I might be in the neighborhood next month and I would definitely like to try them.

Edited December 31, 2004 by fiftydollars (log)

[chefdg]

Why???

[culinary bear]

Wylie, if that's you, you're on... :)

[culinary bear]

I do need to clear up a little misunderstanding (and I didn't help myself by my phrasing; my fault).

I'm a doubting thomas because I see an awful lot of frippery presented as 'science' and if I've accidentally included you in that then I do apologise; I'm not as much of a horse's (or bear's) ass that I don't acknowledge when I make a mistake. I'm posting to that effect in the thread.

My dander was put up by use of the word 'discover'; I take you at your word as a chef and a gentleman, so I believe you don't try and mislead people about the discovery of the enzyme. What are the FOH staff trained to say regarding the dish?

Most of the people I work with wouldn't know how to pronounce transglutaminase.

On a more constructive note, I am very (read: compulsively) interested by novel applications of science to food, especially in a restaurat setting, and if you'll forgive the somewhat abrasive manner of our first talking, I'd be interested to know how you developed this path re: TGA.

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Anyone have a recipe for humble pie they'll care to share?

[Teppy]

Ok, looks like mystery solved. I'm going to have to get some of that stuff to play around with. 646522, if you are Wylie, then thank you for a wonderful meal in October, and for the pointer.

Food chemistry is a hobby for me (I design computer games in real life), and I wish there were a section of eGullet that's more appropriate for - well - amature food science. Let me throw out a few of the things I've played with over the years - maybe something will inspire some discussion.

My first experiments were in 1989 or so, trying to create a zero-calorie donut. At the time there were three components on the horizon that I thought would do the trick. For the sweetness, "left handed sugars" seemed the ultimate sugar substitute. Full bulk, identical sweetness, and undigestable according to (IIRC) a blurb in Omni Magazine a few years before.

For the starch, "fluffy cellulose" seemed to be the trick. The idea was that nonsoluble fiber would be processed down to tiny grains that would have properties identical to wheat flour, but zero calories.

For the oil, Olestra, the now infamous Proctor & Gamble fat substitute.

Left handed sugars never quite made it as sugar substitutes (they occur very rarely in nature, and last I checked still cost dollars-per-gram), but right-handed Tagatose is now available in small commercial quantities, and functionally is - without a doubt - the ultimate sugar substitute. It does have the same laxative problems common in full-bulk sugar substitutes, but the taste is indistinguishable.

"Fluffy Cellulose" is now available, though nobody calls it that anymore. It's marketed as "Snowite" and is made from oat fiber. It has a strange grittiness when replacing 100% of flour, and doesn't seem to bind with gluten, so even zero-starch breads are not yet doable.

And Olestra, well, I never got ahold of any. P&G wanted an avalanche of paperwork before they would even send me a sample. (And samples were provided only in 55-gallon drums.) Years later when they did start selling potato chips made with the stuff, I tried to extract some by boiling a few bags of the chips, and running the hot sludge through a juicer. It didn't work, and was hell to clean up.

In 1997 or so I set out to create low-carb ice cream. Some of the ingredients I used included Erythritol (an amazing sugar alcohol - no laxative properties at all, 0.2 kcal/g, though with the usual sugar alcohol "cooling effect"). Polydextrose is strange stuff - it's sort of a sugar but with no sweetness. If you eat it plain it's just "there" in your mouth. It melts, but has almost no flavor or sweetness. Sucralose is now well known as Splenda. It's probably the best of the "high intensity" sweeteners, though is even better blended with tiny amounts of aceulfame potassium (not sure if this is marketed commercialy), and aspartame (Nutrasweet).

An idea that I've had, but probably requires some heavy-duty materials science is for an everlasting gobstopper, a-la Willy Wonka: There's a new sweetener related to called Neotame that is 6000-10000x the sweetness of sugar. Some lemon and lime flavors are incredibly concentrated, so, what if you were to enclose a few drops of Neotame+Lime flavor in a hollow, slighly porous ceramic ball?

[carp]

...I tried to extract some [olestra] by boiling a few bags of the chips, and running the hot sludge through a juicer...

←

After reading Steingarten's article(s) on olestra, I had similar ideas. I still would love to get a hold of some. My idea was similar, but involved just soaking the chips in water and skimming the oil off the top. I assumed it would still float like regular oil. I never actually tried it because I figured I would need a lot of chips, and because I am lazy.

Anyway...

Your entire post is pretty awesome. I am impressed by the lenghts you go to and I am particularly impressed with the goals you start off with("zero-calorie donut").

Amateur food science is definitely something I am interested in. I'm sure many others here agree and would be interested in similar pursuits.

Please post more about your experiments!

Edited December 31, 2004 by carp (log)

[chuck]

Sounds like he can defend himself, but when I read the first post about the chef 'discovering' an enzyme I took it to mean that he found out about it, not that he created it. Maybe that's what the waiter meant? That he learned about something that already existed but that he had never tried?

[scott123]

Food chemistry is a hobby for me (I design computer games in real life), and I wish there were a section of eGullet that's more appropriate for - well - amature food science.

Ditto (except for the gaming part)

In 1997 or so I set out to create low-carb ice cream. Some of the ingredients I used included Erythritol (an amazing sugar alcohol - no laxative properties at all, 0.2 kcal/g, though with the usual sugar alcohol "cooling effect"). Polydextrose is strange stuff - it's sort of a sugar but with no sweetness. If you eat it plain it's just "there" in your mouth. It melts, but has almost no flavor or sweetness. Sucralose is now well known as Splenda. It's probably the best of the "high intensity" sweeteners, though is even better blended with tiny amounts of aceulfame potassium (not sure if this is marketed commercialy), and aspartame (Nutrasweet).

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Ace K is marketed under the brand names Sunnett and Sweet One. Polydextrose is a useful ingredient in low carb ice cream as it's a freezing point depressor.

If you were making confections with polydextrose, erythritol, sucralose and ace k back in '97, I'm very impressed. I'm working with that stuff now and I consider myself on the cutting edge of low carb cooking.

[nathanm]

Does anybody have a source of Ajinomoto Activa TG - the enzyme in question? They have a US subsidiary based in Chicago - I'll contact them next week...

Their various international web sites show directions for using it to stick meat together - basicaly you sprinkle the powder on (or mix it with water and apply) to meat, poultry or fish, then mold it together overnight in the refrigerator and the product sticks together.

Here are examples:

Meat - "method 1"

Meat "method 2"

Meat - "method 3"

Fish - "method 1"

Fish - method 2

They claim that it will work in the range of 45C to 60C, here is a chart

They don't show how to make shrimp pasta....some experimentation is in order there.

The meat and fish applications look very interesting in and of themselves.

[ducphat30]

If you register with their website, they are very helpful. They will send samples and help you set up ordering with them. They are very forthright with their information on the stuff, as well. They(the people at ajinimoto) are looking for ideas to use the stuff, as much as we are.

[Teppy]

I've been thinking about what could be done with transglutaminase. Here's one thought I had: when sous vide cooking meat, it sounds like one problem is getting the maillard reactions to occur on the meat, without overcooking the part next to the surface. What if you made a fond using some other scrap meat, or just reduced a demi-glace way down so you have a very thin pancake of the stuff. Then, weld that on to the piece of meat using the transglutaminase.

Is this actually a problem? I haven't tried sous vide yet, but now I can't wait. All this talk has inspired my to scrounge around on ebay for some equipment - it should be here in a few days.

[nathanm]

The problem is sous vide is not that the mallard reaction won't occur - it will if the temperature is high enough. The problem is that you generally cook sous vide at low temperature.

In practice this is not a problem because you can sear the outside - in a pan, with a salamander or broiler, or (for some things) with a blow torch.

Adding a coating of something sugary - a lacquer of some sort will enhance browning through carmelization. You can do that, but it generally is not necessary.

So, I don't think that it would be practical to use Activa TG as you suggest - it is easier just to brown it other ways.

[nathanm]

One thing I want to try with Activa is "laminating" two different kinds of fish, or meat together.

For example, thinly sliced salmon, and a white fish. You could make a fish "plywood" that had alternating colors - that would be pretty.

There are a number of recipes that do this already, but they don't always stick well so you have to use toothpicks and the presentation isn't as nice.

You should also be able to make pate that isn't pureed first - i.e. a molded pate like product made from pieces of meat or fish. Again, people do this already but you tend to have to serve it cold so it will gel - this one could be served hot and would still stick together.

[...tm...]

Meat welding is definately the coolest thing I've heard of in a long time. Imagine Rachel Perlow's avatar in a variety of meat colors and shades. Although "meat mold" isn't the most appetizing name.

As for amazing discoveries:

I turned the corner and discovered a plate of cookies my neighbor had left me to enjoy in the new year.

I then turned the corner and discovered America. There were, curiously, many people already living there eating tomatoes, beans and corn.

Although I was not the first to isolate the enzyme transglutminase I did make some pretty tasty shrimp pasta when I learned of it's amazing meat-gluing properties.

But I'm the sort that thinks there is nothing new under the sun. My mom thinks I'm a pessimist.

[MobyP]

I had this dish, and spoke to Wylie about it afterward. He failed to mention the chemistry, but said they had pureed the shrimp, and then showed me the piping bag and nozzle with 5 or 6 holes in the end. Apparently (unless I'm mistaken) they pipe the puree through the holes directly into boiling water.

[culinary bear]

I had this dish, and spoke to Wylie about it afterward. He failed to mention the chemistry, but said they had pureed the shrimp, and then showed me the piping bag and nozzle with 5 or 6 holes in the end. Apparently (unless I'm mistaken) they pipe the puree through the holes directly into boiling water.

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like gnocchi or spaetzle? The key factor there might be to get it piped as quickly as possible so that all the strands cook for approximately the same amount of time... or is it more tolerant than I'm assuming?

I turned the corner and discovered a plate of cookies my neighbor had left me to enjoy in the new year.

I then turned the corner and discovered America. There were, curiously, many people already living there eating tomatoes, beans and corn.

Although I was not the first to isolate the enzyme transglutminase I did make some pretty tasty shrimp pasta when I learned of it's amazing meat-gluing properties.

But I'm the sort that thinks there is nothing new under the sun. My mom thinks I'm a pessimist.

If you are, you're not the only one. Good aphorism. :)