What is Gum Arabic?

Gum Arabic is the natural dried gum, or hardened sap, exuded by the Acacia senegal tree of the African Sahel, in the legume family (Fabaceae). It is a food-safe complex polysaccharide used as a natural binder, emulsifier, and thickener.

About the material

Acacia trees of the Sahel are tapped so the gum weeps from the bark, where it hardens into nodules that are collected by hand and graded by color and clarity. Dissolved in water, gum arabic forms a clear, faintly sweet solution with remarkable binding power. It is one of the oldest documented ingredients in human use: the ancient Egyptians used it to bind pigments, and it still appears in watercolor paints, calligraphy inks, confections, and as a stabilizer in soft drinks. The Sahel, chiefly Sudan, Chad, Nigeria, and Senegal, remains the world's primary source.

Uses

Gum arabic is used in baking as a stabilizer for icings and confections, in watercolor painting and calligraphy ink as a pigment binder, and as an emulsifier in beverages. It is naturally gluten-free and vegan.

Gum Arabic: form & sizes

We carry Gum Arabic as the natural dried gum, sold by weight in sizes from 1 oz to 1 lb. We make no health or therapeutic claims.

Storage

Store gum arabic in an airtight container, away from heat, light, and humidity, to keep it dry and free-flowing.

Gum Arabic at a glance

Botanical source

Acacia senegal

Family

Fabaceae

Source region

The Sahel (Sudan, Chad, Nigeria, Senegal)

Type

Natural polysaccharide tree gum

Form

Dried gum

Sizes

1 oz to 1 lb