Agar-Agar
Agar-agar, known as just agar in culinary circles, is a plant-based gelatin derived from seaweed. The white and semitranslucent vegetable gelatin is sold in flake, powder, bar, and strand form, and can be used in recipes as a stabilizing and thickening agent. Agar is nondigestible. It is used in food products where its emulsifying, stabilizing, and gelling properties and the heat resistance of its gel are useful. In sherbets and ices, agar–locust bean gum–gelatin is superior with respect to texture, syneresis, incrustation, and flavor stability. The optimum stabilizer concentrations have 0.12% of agar, 0.07% of locust bean gum, and 0.20% of gelatin. Agar is employed at levels of 0.05–0.85% in Neufchatel-type processed and cream cheeses and in fermented milk products, such as yogurt. Improved texture and stability are conferred. In confectionery, agar jelly candies are staples; fig–agar and marshmallows are leaders. In South America, a sweet potato–sugar–agar confection has wide popular