Gelation

Gelation is when something becomes like a jelly-like consistency. It's like what happens when you mix a special powder with water, and then wait for a few minutes until it becomes like a gel. It's also like when you put fruit in a blender and it gets really thick and jelly-like. Gelation happens because of a chemical reaction between the ingredients - like when the special powder mixes with the water, it forms a type of network that makes it thick and jelly-like. The same thing happens with the fruit in the blender - it becomes thick and jelly-like because the pieces start sticking together to form a network. So, with gelation, two different things are able to stick together and form a solid-like structure.