Kansui (枧水, jian shui), also called alkaline water, lye water or edible osmium water. Kansui is a compound food additive, a material in food technology, and a traditional auxiliary material commonly used in Cantonese-style pastries.
Instructions for using Kansui
Kansui is an indispensable food additive in Cantonese-style cakes such as Cantonese-style moon cakes.
The traditional Kansui used by the ancestors is the plant ash extract, which is to boil the plant ash with an appropriate amount of water and let it soak for about 1 day. The leached supernatant is the poached water. Its pH is about 12.6. The main component is potassium carbonate. And sodium carbonate.
The Kansui used by modern people is no longer plant ash, but uses potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate as the main ingredients, and is formulated into an aqueous solution with a pH value of about 12.6
Since the amount of Kansui is usually relatively small, when making Cantonese mooncakes and other cakes at home, you can also use soda and clear water to mix well instead.
The effect of adding Kansui:
1. Neutralize the acid in the syrup to prevent the acidity of mooncakes and affect the taste and mouthfeel.
2. Control the speed of mooncakes oil return and adjust the hardness of the crust;
3. Make the mooncake skin alkaline, which is good for moon cake coloring. The higher the alkalinity, the easier the moon cake skin is colored;
4. Neutralization reaction between water and acid produces a certain amount of carbon dioxide gas, which promotes the moderate expansion of the moon cake and makes the mooncake skin looser and not deformed.
Best alkaline water
This is the best alkaline water which is very popular in Chinese.
Kansui recipe
You’ll need:
15g baking soda
45g water
How to make Kansui
1. Prepare the baking soda. Preheat oven to 200 degrees, put an appropriate amount into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove out and let it cool down.
2. Prepare Kansui at a ratio of 1 (baking soda) to 3 (water). 15 grams of baked baking soda + 45 grams of water = 60 grams of Kansui water. Note: Put water in the container first, then add baking soda. Don’t reverse the order. Stir with a spoon a few times and set aside until the liquid becomes clear.
3. Keep the Kansui sealed.
Kansui (lye water, alkaline water) 枧水
Ingredients
- 15 g baking soda
- 45 g water
Instructions
- Prepare the baking soda. Preheat oven to 200 degrees, put an appropriate amount into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove out and let it cool down
- Prepare Kansui at a ratio of 1 (baking sodto 3 (water). 15 grams of baked baking soda + 45 grams of water = 60 grams of Kansui water. Note: Put water in the container first, then add baking soda. Don't reverse the order. Stir with a spoon a few times and set aside until the liquid becomes clear.
- Keep the Kansui sealed.
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