Agar forms gels at even lower
concentrations than gelatin does, less than 1%
by weight. An agar jelly is somewhat opaque,
and has a more crumbly texture than a gelatin
jelly. To make an agar jelly, the dried agar is
soaked in cold water, then heated to the boil to
fully dissolve the carbohydrate chains, mixed
with the other ingredients, and the mixture
strained and cooled until it sets, at around
110ºF/38ºC. But where a gelatin gel sets and
remelts at around the same temperature, an
agar gel only melts again when its
temperature reaches 185ºF/85ºC. So an agar
gel won’t melt in the mouth; it must be
chewed into particles. On the other hand, it
will remain solid on hot days, and can even be
served hot. Modern cooks have used this
property to disperse small agar-gelled morsels
of contrasting flavor into a hot dish.
Gelatinous Delicacies: Tendons, Fins,
and Nests