Agar agar is a vegetarian substitute for gelatine.

Gelatine is animal protein (made from pig skins and stuff) whereas agar agar is carbohydrate, made from seaweed. So if you are Muslim or Jewish or vegetarian or just don't like the idea of gelatine, read on. Agar agar comes in powder form or as dehydrated and freeze dried bars that look like whitish, crinkly packing material. Sometimes they come in strands and you can soak these in cold water till tender, squeeze dry, and add to salads for texture.
To substitute agar agar for gelatine in recipes, the formula is: for 400cc of liquid, 10g of gelatine sheets = 4g of agar agar powder. Agar agar powder is easy to use, but it's not the same as gelatine, so beware.

First, you need to dissolve in liquid and bring to the boil. Once boiled, lower heat, and let it simmer for about 2 minutes to fully dissolve the carbohydrate chains, otherwise it won't set. (For gelatine, dissolve sheet in cold water, squeeze, then add to liquid that's boiled once but cooled to about 80 degrees, don't simmer.) Agar agar sets at room temperature, so you don't need to refrigerate like gelatine set foods. you can also mix agar agar set foods with hot foods, as it won't melt. Of course the downside is that the texture is stiffer, and you won't get that melt in your mouth texture you get with gelatine.

If you want to use the agar agar bars, one bar (5g) is equal to 4g of agar agar powder or 10g gelatine sheets (400cc of liquid). But you need to soak the bar in cold water until tender, squeeze dry, then bring to the boil in liquid and simmer for 2 minutes or more. Then strain, before cooling. Agar agar is a good source of iodine, calcium, iron.
There are no calories, and yet, it is good for your digestion and prevents constipation. It has a cooling effect on the body, so is best consumed in the summmer months. It's also cheap, and makes better fruit jellies than gelatine. Acidic fruit juices (pH below 4) does not set with gelatine, but will with agar agar.

by Masako Fukui, Kei's Kitchen

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