carbohydrates with some unusual and useful
properties. Food manufacturers use them to
make gels and to stabilize emulsions (cream
and ice cream, for example).
Agar Agar, a shortened version of the Malay
agar agar, is a mixture of several different
carbohydrates and other materials that has
long been extracted from several genera of red
algae (p. 341). It’s now manufactured by
boiling the seaweeds, filtering the liquid, and
freeze-drying it in the form of sticks or
strands, which are readily available in Asian
groceries. The solid pieces of agar can be
eaten uncooked as a chewy ingredient in cold
salads, soaked and cut into bite-sized pieces.
In China agar is made into an unflavored gel
that’s sliced and served in a complex sauce;
it’s also used to gel flavorful mixtures of fruit
juice and sugar, and stews of meats, fish, or
vegetables. In Japan agar is made into jellied
sweets.