Gum Tragacanth-Grade 2

Tragacanth is a natural gum obtained from the dried sap of plants from the Astragalus family.

The name Tragacanth is rooted in its colloquial name, "goat's thorn," and comes from the Greek words tragos ("goat") and akantha ("thorn").

Gum Tragacanth is used as food, in traditional medicine, in art, craft and various industrial applications.

The gum seeps from the plant in twisted ribbons or flakes that can be powdered and dissolved in water. It absorbs water to become a gel, which can be stirred into a viscous, odourless, tasteless paste.

Gum tragacanth is used in incense-making as a binder to hold powdered ingredients together and help give them shape when preparing incense cones and sticks..
For binding purposes, the ribbons can be easily ground in a mortar or coffee grinder, passed through a fine sieve and dissolved in warm water.

It is considered a demulcent in traditional herbal medicine and in some cultures, it is regarded as an aphrodisiac and used to increase libido in men.

A paste  has been used as a poultice for burns. It is found in pharmaceuticals as an emulsifier, thickener and stabilizer and used as a binder for pills.

Gum Tragacanth is used in producing artists' pastels, in the paper marbling process, as a thickener and stabilizer in the food and beverage industry (sauces, ice cream, mayonnaise, salad dressings etc.), and to harden fondants used in floral sugarcraft and cake decorations.

Dan

Materials: Gum Tragacanth, Gum Tragacanth Ribbons, Astragalus Gummifer.