A drop of food scientist Ted Russin’s gellan gum solution hangs momentarily from a bead-making instrument. He’s making “caviars,” or edible beads. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
In the CP Kelco company laboratory in San Diego, Russin works at the “stir bench,” adding color to a gellan gum bead solution. (An earlier version of this caption incorrectly said Russin develops additives.) (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Russin uses a blowtorch to demonstrate the heat resistance of a gum made with low acyl gellan gum. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Amy Wong, a technical service representative for CP Kelco, examines a batch of edible pearls. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
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In a novel twist on a martini, vodka pearls hang suspected in a “fluid gel” made with gellan gum. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Rojas gets ready to add a “fluid gel” to his compressed watermelon dessert. A brief shaking of the gel instantly turns it into a syrupy liquid. A fog of liquid nitrogen adds to the table preparation of the dessert. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Steven Rojas, chef de cuisine at El Bizcocho restaurant. (An earlier version of the this caption incorrected stated that Rojas is head chef at the Rancho Bernardo Inn restaurant.) (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Rojas adds a fog of liquid nitrogen to the table preparation of his compressed watermelon dessert. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
