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Published 2014
It is not a gelatin or pectin jelly, but is composed largely of cellulose, which is deposited by acetic acid-producing bacteria, Acetobacter xylinum. In fact it could be described as an unusually solid ‘mother of vinegar’ (see vinegar). The nata forms as a mat on the surface of a sugar solution in which the fruit trimmings are steeped. It is lifted off, washed, and sun dried; then cooked in syrup before serving. It is almost completely non-nutritious and has only a faint taste of the original fruit.