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  1. To simplify, an Emulsifier is a molecule that reduces the interface tension between substances like Oil & Water, allowing them to mix together into an Emulsion.

    They generally have an attraction to Water at one end (Hydrophilic) & an attraction to Oil at the other (Lipophillic).

    By hand whisking or machine blending you get a greater proportion of the components (Water – Emulsifier – Oil) to bond together, thus creating a a better Emulsion.

    Emulsifiers are a part of a greater group called Surfactants. (And that's another rabbit hole, entirely…)

  2. An emulsion is the even suspension of fat/oil droplets within water. Whisking or blending simply agitates the oil and water/vinegar so that very small droplets of each end up suspended in the other.
    Think of a brick wall in which every other brick is water, and the others are oil.
    🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵
    🟡🔵🟡🔵🟡
    🔵🟡🔵🟡🔵
    You can add other ingredients, such as mayonnaise, egg yolks, or soy lecithin, as they contain chemical compounds that stabilize the emulsion, therefore keeping the emulsion intact for longer. Stabilizers basically fill in the gaps between the droplets. The oil and vinegar could be emulsified without the added ingredients, but it will separate much sooner, because there are no stabilizers.

  3. He didn't explain what emulsifying is.

    Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I think it's the heat from whisking breaks down the cell walls and allows 2 things that normally don't mix to actually mix. That's why you can emulsify in a blender as well. Blenders get super hot.

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