My motivation for writing this post is strictly self-serving. The differences between edible gums and their uses is precisely the kind of information I can never commit to memory. So, tired of searching repeatedly through the many sources of information on gums, I decided to create an easy to understand reference guide. I did it for me. And, okay, for you too.
CMC Powder
Carboxy Methyl Cellulose or SodiumCarboxyMethylCellulose. The chemical name for Tylose. (See Tylose below.)
Gum Arabic
- Uses: stabilizer, edible gum, binder, emulsifying agent
- For cake design: Add to royal icing to strengthen. Create edible glue (or “gum glue”) by mixing 2 tsp. gum arabic with 2 ounces water (source: SugarCraft.com)
- Natural or synthetic: Natural
- Alternative names: acacia gum, chaar gund, char goond, or meska
- Most similar to: n/a
Gum Tex
Wilton brand name for karaya gum. (See karaya gum below.)
Gum Tragacenth
- Uses: Drying agent. Adds strength and stretch.
- For cake design: Used in making gumpaste and pastillage. Can be added to fondant to speed drying (sometimes called “emergency gumpaste“, see recipe under Tylose)
- Natural or synthetic: Natural
- Alternative names: gum trag, gum elect, gum dragon
- Most similar to: Tylose
Karaya Gum
- Uses: thickener and emulsifier, used to adulterate gum tragacenth due to their similar physical characteristics
- For cake design: Ingredient in some gumpaste recipes. Can be added to fondant to speed drying (sometimes called “emergency gumpaste“, see recipe under Tylose)
- Natural or synthetic: Natural
- Alternative names: Gum-Tex (Wilton brand)
- Most similar to: gum tragacanth
Tylose
- Uses: thickener, binder, stabilizer, and suspending agent in glazes. Helps products retain moisture and gives a gum-like texture. Also acts as drying agent in fondant and gumpaste. Tylose is said to hold up better in humidity and is whiter in color. The more tylose you use, the stiffer and stronger the resulting fondant.
- For cake design: Ingredient in some gumpaste recipes (including the one I use, Nicholas Lodge’s gumpaste recipe). Can be added to fondant to speed drying, sometimes called “emergency gumpaste“. To create emergency gumpaste, add 2 -3 tsp of Tylose powder to 1lb of fondant. The more tylose you use, the stiffer and stronger the resulting fondant. Tylose is said to hold up better in humidity and is whiter in color than gum tragacenth.
- Natural or synthetic: Synthetic
- Alternative names: Super gum, cellulose gum
- Most similar to: Gum tragacenth
