Partly in denial of the fact that it's 80 degrees here and mostly because my spring allergies are killing me, I'm making some hot soup. I decided to make pho with oxtail because it's meaty and rich without being heavy. The recipe calls for skimming the scum that forms and it got me thinking. What is this scum and why is it bad? Or is it bad?
Some people call the scum or foam "impurities," whatever that means. I found a scientific paper that refers to it as "a complex of coagulated proteins, fat, and minerals." Another source said it "is simply the blood and juices which at this stage of the cooking coagulate." I don't know why any of those things are bad. Some say to just leave it and some say it causes a bitter flavor. Finally I found a scientific paper that experimented to find out if the addition of onions to soup stock counteracted this off-flavor. Seems it does.
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