How to use Agar-Agar?

Do you already hear about agar-agar? Do you know what it is?

I discovered this fabulous product in Japan some years ago. Agar-agar is a seaweed coming from red aglae and gelidium. This seaweed extract has a a lot of very interesting diet strengths. It´s gelatinous and it´s widely use in the kitchen for thicken soups and sauces, prepare jellies and all kind of desserts.

Another interesting fact is that agar-agar contains more than 80% of fiber! When we are searching for some fiber in our poor modern diet, this natural product provides a lot of fiber, and so a high feeling of satiety. And really few calories,... Shall I say more to convince you to use it?

Where do you find agar-agar?

Now that you are convinced, let´s me help you to find it. That´s true that at the supermarket, it will be difficult to find it, if you are not living in Asia!

Try Asian shops or organic and bio shops. All this kind of shops providing healthy and organic products. You are pretty sure to find it!

You can find it in different ways, or the pure seaweed that looks like a dry small  and translucent toothpick, or in powder.

How to cook agar-agar?

Regarding the brand you will buy, you will have some use indications. Every brand has a different density and I encourage you to follow the indications. In my case, I use now Pronagar, a quite concentrated one that works great!

The use for the cooking is always the same and consists in boil for 1 min the powder with the liquid you chose mixing the agar-agar with the preparation, and then let cool down. The great thing about this product, that makes it for me really an allied, is that in 30 min, it will be already in jelly, ready for eat!

All right, and now, let´s see further what we can do with this fabulous product! First, just think about all the recipes that uses jelly, can be perfectly done with agar-agar! Agar-agar does not have any colour nor smell or taste, and can be use for salty or sweet preparation!

Let´s choose a salt recipe and a sweet one,... aspics and green tea jelly!