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I recently discovered xanthan gum and bought a jar to try this amazing thickener for myself. When opening the jar I however noticed a slightly "corked" smell to the powder itself. I made a thick (~5g/1L) mixture with water to see if the taste was noticable, which it was. It was also noticeable in a thinner sweet cherry dessert sauce.

All sources online refer to xanthan gum as being completely tasteless - did I just get a bad batch? For reference, the brand and specific product is Sosa Pure xantham gum.

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  • Having never noticed this smell or flavour, I'd try a different brand.
    – Wayfaring Stranger
    Feb 28, 2021 at 22:02
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    I don't do a lot with Xanathan gum, but Gum Arabic gets a boozy, moldy smell when it starts to break down. So I suspect your gum was too old.
    – FuzzyChef
    Mar 1, 2021 at 6:54
  • Have others noticed the same smell? Do you notice the same smell in other batches? Smell receptors are not 100% the same between humans, so you have to exclude the possibility that it is a smell only you can perceive.
    – rumtscho ♦
    Mar 6, 2021 at 8:29
  • Yes - I've had four others report the same as a sanity check. I am in the process of getting another jar of Xanthan gum, I will report back after trying that. PS. I would be surprised if this is due to breakdown, as the jar was brand new with an expiry date some time in the next couple of years.
    – Mats
    Mar 8, 2021 at 8:43

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OK to sum up what this is. This can be a multitude of things separate or combined. Since its a cork smell, i would say throw that batch out and get a new one and try it. If its the same thing, then report it on their website (If they have one) and just get a different brand. it might be molding, or staling of the gum. Either that or they make Juicy fruit gum out of the game stuff and its just not reliable. ANYWAYS, i would say get a different brand nonetheless and try that.

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  • Hi Joseph, I think your point out that this could be due to mold or staleness is reasonable, but you might want to check out How do I write a good answer? for some guidance on improving this to meet Q&A expectations.
    – Air
    Mar 5, 2021 at 19:44

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