Spherification

Spherification is a molecular cuisine technique developed at el Bulli by Ferran Adria in 2003, consisting of creating liquid spheres with a gelled wall through the reaction between sodium alginate and calcium chloride. Two variants exist: direct spherification (the liquid contains alginate, dipped into a calcium bath) and reverse spherification (the liquid contains calcium, dipped into an alginate bath). The technique allows the creation of melon caviar spheres, cocktail spheres, green olive spheres, and still figures in several contemporary three star menus (Source: Ferran Adria, Texturas el Bulli, 2006).