Sea Vegetable
Agar
Agar is a gelling extract from red seaweeds such as Gelidium and Gracilaria, sold as powder, flakes, or bars. It sets firmer than gelatine and works in vegetarian jellies, Asian sweets, and microbiological media. Bloom in liquid and boil to dissolve; gels set at room temperature. Flavour is nearly neutral when pure.
Also known as: Kanten, Hancheon, Dongfen, Agar-agar
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Breeds, cuts & preparations
Preparation
BarDissolvedDriedFlakePowderSet GelStrand
Characteristic
ExtractedGelling
CommonCharacteristic
BrittleCleanClearElasticFirmMarine TraceMildNeutral
History
JP
Japanese cooks developed kanten agar gels from boiled red seaweeds.
JP
Freeze-thaw refining improved agar purity for culinary and industrial use.
Agar became a global vegetarian gelling agent and laboratory culture medium.
Powdered agar standardised convenience use in home and commercial kitchens.