Agar-Agar

Vegan gelatin

Agar-agar is the vegan answer to gelatin — a polysaccharide extracted from boiled red seaweed, then dried into flakes, powder, or sticks. Where gelatin is animal collagen, agar comes from plant cells and gels through a different mechanism: it sets at warmer temperatures (around 35 °C, vs 15 °C for gelatin) and produces a firmer, more brittle texture.

The discovery is famously serendipitous — Japanese innkeeper Minoura Tarōzaemon left seaweed soup outside in winter in 1658, and the dried frozen residue became kanten, the precursor to modern agar.

Uses

Used in East Asian desserts (Japanese anmitsu, Filipino gulaman, Chinese almond jelly), microbiology lab plates (the standard medium for growing bacteria), and vegan kitchens worldwide. A teaspoon of agar powder will set roughly two cups of liquid into a firm jelly.