Aquafaba: nose-to-tail beans

Aquafaba: It’s like the pig’s feet of the vegan world by using every part of the bean. It turns out that the water beans are cooked or canned in takes on the beans’ magic (starches and proteins) and can be used as an egg white substitute to make, among other previously untouchable eats for vegans, meringue and macarons. The use of the liquid—called aquafaba, Latin for “water” and “bean”—is a recent discovery, and its history is detailed at www.aquafaba.com. Because of an enthusiastic and supportive online community, including the Facebook group Vegan Meringue—Hits and Misses!, people have been posting experimental recipes and tips. Note: lemon meringue pie, frosting, mousse, whipped cream and mayonnaise are all hits. In fact, the company Sir Kensington’s teamed up with a hummus company to use its otherwise discarded garbanzo bean water to create Fabanaise, a vegan mayo. Way to nose-to-tail them beans, Kensington!