Albumen is the clear substance that surrounds the yolk of an egg. When it is beaten or cooked, albumen looks white and may be called an egg white, puggle or glair. Albumen is distinct from albumin, which are proteins that are water soluble and found in a variety of creatures. We have albumin in our blood plasma for instance. Albumen or egg whites, to make matters more confusing, are certain proteins that are dissolved in water. The typical egg white contains about 15% protein and about 85% water.

In cooking, albumen is an important element. Cakes, pancakes and waffles may all be made from recipes that call for separating albumen from the egg yolks, and beating it until it forms soft peaks. It is then folded into the recipe ingredients, creating very fluffy results. Some cakes, like the angel food cake, rely solely on whipped albumen, and don’t use the yolks at all.

Albumen proteins are elastic, and tend to bond easily with other proteins. For example when you whip egg whites in a copper bowl, copper atoms bond with proteins in albumen. Albumen becomes frothy meringue because whipping it causes protein molecules to stretch to accommodate air whipped into the egg whites.

Whipped albumen, often called meringue, is common to mousses, soufflés, and may be used in certain types of frostings. Stiff meringue can be baked into cookies or ladled onto the tops of pies. Albumen that is only slightly beaten is now a common alternative to eating whole eggs. Egg white omelets are especially popular and a good way to cut down on saturated fats in the diet, because most of the saturated fat in eggs is in the yolks.

To avoid cholesterol, people may choose to use only egg whites for breakfast foods or baking. There’s actually some debate as to whether a few whole eggs a week, yolk and white is bad for you. Recent research suggests that egg yolks actually lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol, even though early understanding of cholesterol resulted in demonizing many food sources like the egg. Unless you are dieting or attempting to lower a dramatically raised cholesterol score through diet, eating a few whole eggs a week may be healthy.

When albumen is not whipped into meringue or prepared as breakfast eggs, it can merely be separated from the egg yolks and used as way to glaze items baking in the oven, often called an egg wash. Manufacturers treat beer and wine with albumen to remove sedimentary deposits. You might notice albumen listed on broth you buy at the store. You’ll certainly see recipes that call for egg whites to help clarify or make the broth clear.