Baker's ammonia

Ammonium bicarbonate, the old bakery's raising agent: in the oven it gives off ammonia gas, leaving things light, hollow and crisp, and the smell goes with the baking. 沙翁, 蛋散, 光酥餅, walnut cookies and 油條 get their crispness from it, and the bakery pineapple-bun crust cracks the way it does because of a pinch; many Hong Kong recipes now say 無臭粉 and use baking powder with a little bicarb instead, softer and less hollow. Not a supermarket line in Australia: cake-decorating suppliers, Greek and Italian delis and online sellers (eBay AU, for example) carry it, and some Asian grocers keep a small Hong Kong packet in the baking corner.

Cautions: read first

• It gives off ammonia in the oven: use only the pinch the recipe gives, in thin pieces that bake through, and ventilate; never taste the raw batter.
• Food-grade only; keep it sealed and away from children.

Preparation

Dissolve it in a teaspoon of water before it goes into the batter; store it sealed.

Availability in Australia

Herbal shops / specialists

Pairs well with