Psyllium is cultivated chiefly in the Mediterranean area of Europe and in India. It is a harvested grain. Psyllium comes from plants of the Plantago genus. Psyllium derives its name from the Greek psylla meaning ‘a flea’.
Psyllium is used as a food or food component for centuries. It is also available in the American diet in breads, pastas, grains, snacks, and ready to eat cereals.
Due to psyllium’s various health benefits, many efforts have been made by nutritionist and food manufacturers to develop methods for incorporating it into food products.
Psyllium has been referred by experts as a gelling agent forming a weak gel-like structure similar to those formed by xanthan and other related polysaccharides, with rigid and ordered structures in solutions.
Psyllium mucilage is used in ice creams and frozen desserts as a thickener and stabilizer.
Traditionally it use involve spreading psyllium on bread, mixing it with honey, marmalade or stewed fruits, using it in soup, or mixing it with wheat flour as a thickener.
Psyllium also traditionally been used as an ingredient in the making of chocolates and in jellies.
It is also used with other gums in bakeries to replace wheat gluten. For example, in preparation of gluten free bread, psyllium gum and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose at 2 and 1%, respectively are added to rice flour to give a loaf volume close to that of hard wheat control.
Food applications of psyllium
