A mixture of two liquids that normally don't mix, where one is dispersed as tiny droplets throughout the other.

In food science, these two liquids are almost always:

• a water-based liquid, and
• a fat-based liquid in the form of a very softened fat or oil.

Water and fat naturally separate so we can add emulsifiers to help stabilize the mixture by keeping the tiny droplets evenly dispersed. A stable emulsion ensures ingredients are distributed uniformly leading to a smoother textures, more consistent structures, and quite often, better overall results.

Emulsions are one of the most common types of mixtures in the kitchen. In baking, good examples include cake batters, buttercreams, ganaches, ice cream bases and many custards.