These names get mixed up a lot, so here is the simple version: gond katira and gum arabic are two different gums, from two different plants, that behave in completely different ways.
Gond katira is tragacanth
Gond katira is tragacanth gum, harvested from the Astragalus shrub. Its defining feature is that it swells into a soft gel in cold water rather than dissolving. In South Asian cooking it is soaked and used in cooling summer drinks like sharbat and falooda, and it has been a popular social media trend.
Gum arabic is acacia gum
Gum arabic is the sap of the acacia tree (Acacia senegal for the premium hashab grade). Unlike tragacanth, it dissolves completely and clear in water and does not form a gel. That is exactly why the food and drink industry uses it as an emulsifier and stabiliser, and why it works as a clear-dissolving soluble fibre.
Where does "gond" fit in?
In some South Asian usage the bare word "gond" refers to edible acacia gum, the same family as gum arabic, often eaten in warming winter preparations. "Gond katira", despite the similar name, is the different, cooling tragacanth gum. Same first word, different plant.
Quick comparison
- Gum arabic / gond: acacia tree, dissolves clear, no gel.
- Gond katira: Astragalus shrub (tragacanth), swells into a gel, does not dissolve.
We supply gum arabic (acacia gum), not tragacanth. Read what is gum arabic or see wholesale.
Looking for gum arabic itself rather than the comparison? Start with what gum arabic is, or see order quantities and how we quote.