Aquafaba is the watery substance you find in tins of chickpeas. It is the water that has been used to cook the chickpeas. You can substitute it for an egg and use it in your culinary creations such as baked goods.
Aquafaba can be used as a binding agent or thickening agent in cookery. This water that beans have been cooked in can also be used as a substitute to eggs when you are cooking. When beaten it will form stiff peaks like an egg white. Two tablespoons of aquafaba are the equivalent of one egg white. Three tablespoons can replace a whole egg. To obtain aquafaba, you just need to collect the water you use for cooking your chickpeas. You can then you use it for cooking. Aquafaba is an excellent substitute for eggs for people who are allergic to eggs and for vegans. You can use it to make chocolate mousse, macaroons, floating islands and other confections. It also reduces food waste by reusing the cooking water of chickpeas.
Although aquafaba may be similar to an egg white in many aspects, it does remain different. It gives less taste than an egg white. However, you can’t notice this difference when you use it in baking. Madame Le Figaro explains that it is the composition which distinguishes aquafaba from egg white. It contains far fewer calories and contains very little protein.
