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Glite Dictionary
potassium bitartrate

potassium bitartrate

5.2
A white powder that helps egg whites keep their shape and improves texture of baked goods
  • noun
  • /pəˈtæsiəm baɪˈtɑːrtreɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bitartrato de potasio
  • Many recipes call for potassium bitartrate to stabilize egg whites in meringue.

Examples

  • Many chefs use potassium bitartrate to stabilize egg whites.

  • You can find potassium bitartrate in many baking recipes.

  • The addition of potassium bitartrate to the dough improves the texture of baked goods.

  • You can find potassium bitartrate listed as an ingredient on containers of baking powder.

  • Many recipes call for potassium bitartrate to stabilize egg whites in meringue.

  • You can find potassium bitartrate listed as an ingredient on containers of baking powder.

  • The addition of potassium bitartrate to the dough improves the texture of baked goods.

Synonyms

tartar
vspotassium bitartrate
  • Specialized
10 6.3

A white powder used in baking to help cakes rise

is the specific chemical form used especially for baking powder and stabilizing whites
cream of tartar
vspotassium bitartrate
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A white powder used in baking to keep egg whites and sugar stable

is the chemical salt term used in technical or ingredient lists
potassium hydrogen tartrate
vspotassium bitartrate
  • Specialized
5.1

A white powder used in baking to make cakes rise and keep egg whites stable

is the common cooking name used when stabilizing egg whites

Surface Forms

potassium bitartrate singular
potassium bitartrates plural

Morphology

potassium + bitartrate

The phrase names a chemical compound composed of potassium and the bitartrate anion, so a learner who knows 'potassium' and 'bitartrate' can infer it is a potassium salt/compound (i.e., the salt derived from tartaric acid). This follows standard, cross-linguistically common chemical naming patterns, making the composition and general meaning predictable even if the item is specialist vocabulary.

Etymology

Potassium bitartrate gets its name from a crust called 'tartar' that formed inside old wine barrels; people scraped this crust and turned it into the white powder called 'cream of tartar'. So, the name now means the baking ingredient used to 'stabilize egg whites' and improve texture.