Ingredient Spotlight: Agar

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If you haven’t heard of Agar, then let me be the first to introduce you! For vegans it is an absolute must-have ingredient in your cooking toolbox, and for non-vegans, its a way to replace gelatin in your diet.

Agar, also referred to as Agar-Agar or kanten, is a gelling agent that comes from seaweed. It can also be used in fruit preserves, ice creams and puddings, and as a thickener for soups.

Agar can be found in health food stores, Asian grocery markets, online in and some mainstream supermarkets that carry health food.

You can find it in powder form, flake form, and also in bars. Each has its own instructions for use.

For example, you will use less of the powder than the flakes. A basic rule is 1 Tablespoon agar flakes per 1 cup of liquid, and 1 teaspoon of agar powder per 1 cup of liquid.

But the firmness you desire will depend greatly on the recipe you are making. You don’t want your pudding to be as firm as Jell-O, so testing with water or juice might be helpful if you are not following a recipe.

Agar is pretty cool for a number of reasons. First of all, it helps you to create some pretty great desserts. It also has no calories, no carbs, no sugar, no fat and is 80% fiber, so once its ingested, Agar absorbs water and triples in size, which can lead to a feeling of more fullness.

You can also make a pretty low-cal treat by using your favorite juice and agar. Just put the juice, agar flakes and a pinch of salt into a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, stirring constantly until the flakes are completely dissolved, approximately 10-12 minutes. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish, and refrigerate until gelled, about 1 hour.

But don’t stop there! There is SO much more Agar can do.

Like this awesome Vegan Flan! This is one recipe not to be missed! Its easy to make and impressive to serve.