Agar Agar the sea jelly

The Agar-Agar in recent times has been gaining more and more followers.
Not only for all the possibilities it offers, but also for its Asian flavor and air, which turns it into an article with some mystery and, at the same time, a lot of medicinal benefits.

The important thing is to know well what Hagar Agar is, to know all its benefits and properties, the various uses that we can give it and where we can get them to add it to our life and that is part of it.

The Agar Agar is extracted from different seaweeds, including those of the genus Gracilaria. They are commonly classified as red algae. These algae are small, their stems are reddish and are characterized by their richness in mucilage, a type of fiber.
These are extracted by pouring a certain amount of hot water on them once after drying them in the sun. Traditionally this activity was carried out mainly in Japan. The mucilage or jelly they produce, once they have been harvested and dried, is sold as powder, flakes, filaments and bars in what is called Agar Agar.
Agar Agar, sometimes called "Kanten", is a gelling agent from a seaweed from Southeast Asia. It is used for scientific purposes (in biology, for example), as a filler for paper and as an agent in clarification in brewing.
And, of course, agar agar is an incredible culinary ingredient. It is a vegetarian substitute of gelatin, a thickener for soups and we can use it to preserve fruit, ice cream and other desserts.


The properties of Agar Agar can be divided into four fields: its solubility, its gelling capacity, its viscosity and its stability.
If we talk about the solubility of Agar Agar, it is insoluble in cold water although it swells considerably, absorbing up to twenty times its own weight of water. It dissolves easily in boiling water and forms in a firm gel at concentrations as low as 0.50%.

Agar Agar powder, on the other hand, is soluble in water and other solvents at temperatures between 95º and 100º C.
The pH that Agar Agar has, together with its sugar, is what allows it to have a great resistance as gelatin with a high concentration.

As its pH decreases, its resistance will also weaken. This gelling property that has the Agar Agar, gets it to solidify as gelatin before and at a lower temperature than with other gelatins.

The viscosity of Hagar Agar solutions vary widely and depend significantly on the source of raw material. This viscosity occurs above a constant pH point between 4.5 and 9. However, we have to be careful since, once gelation starts, the viscosity at constant temperature increases with time.

Finally, the stability of the Agar Agar is due to the fact that it is slightly negatively charged, which depends on two factors: hydration and electric charge. What we achieve with the temperature is to alter its stability and pH, which allows us to do with the Agar Agar what we need or want to do with it.



The Agar Agar is a product that has no calories: it has no carbohydrates, no sugar, no fat and it is loaded with fiber. We are faced with an article that is free of ingredients such as starch, soy, gluten, yeast, wheat, milk, eggs and preservatives.
Agar Agar absorbs the glucose that is in our stomach when it passes through our digestive system quickly, and gives our body the ability to inhibit the retention and storage of excess fat.

Its water absorption properties also help in the elimination of waste. The Agar Agar also absorbs bile and, in doing so, causes the body to dissolve more cholesterol.

It also becomes a perfect perfect substitute for traditional gelatin.
It is made from a source of plant rather than animal, so it makes it perfect for vegetarian and vegan diets, and other restrictions of other types of diets. The Agar Agar has no taste, smell or color, which makes it very convenient to use. It is fixed more firmly than ordinary gelatin, and remains firm even when the temperature is heated.


The uses of Agar Agar are mainly found in two fields: the kitchen and medicinally. If we focus on the kitchen, there are several ways to use it to our advantage.

The first thing we can use the Agar Agar, since it has no flavor, is to get any flavor we want and turn it into jelly, for example, coffee candies, chocolate, banana, etc.

Depending on the flavor we want to achieve, we must follow a different process, but always before boiling what gives the flavor, the Agar Agar must be present.
We can also make cocktails with Agar Agar that we can eat where the jelly is the protagonist. Leave the mixture to boil over low heat while the Agar Agar dissolves, adding the alcohol and it is time to stir it.
Finally, it is the perfect substitute for the vegan diet of egg whites. If we want to make a recipe in which they ask for the egg whites and we have this type of diet, the Agar Agar is our best ally.
To substitute an egg, we only have to mix a spoonful of Agar Agar powder with water, using a blender to get the perfect mixture and leaving it in the fridge to cool.


The Agar Agar is a perfect suppressant for appetite, since it has the ability to extend our stomach, causing the person to feel satiated and full. It is known in Japan as the "Kanten Diet", and Hagar Agar also helps improve your metabolism.

On the other hand, we can get pills made of Agar Agar which, with its high fiber content reaching 80%, can help us with our constipation problems. But, nevertheless, it can not be used if what we have is an intestinal obstruction, since the Agar Agar is rather aimed at improving the movements of our intestines.


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