Agar Agar

In the culinary world, countless ingredients enhance the flavor, texture, and creativity of dishes. One such ingredient that has captivated chefs, bakers, and food enthusiasts is agar, or Agar Agar, well-known for its gelling properties.

Born from Coincidence in Japan

Agar Agar is a popular ingredient that originated by chance. It is said that in 1658, Mino Tarōzaemon, a hotel owner in Fushimi-ku, Japan, accidentally left seaweed soup overnight in the dining room during the cold winter. The next morning, he discovered that the forgotten seaweed soup had turned into a gel, which greatly astonished him.

He later experimented with the seaweed soup again, using the same ingredients: two species of red algae, Gelidium and Gracilaria. He boiled them into a soup and left it in the cold air, eventually resulting in a gel. From then on, these two types of algae were used to produce Agar Agar for making various gels and jellies.

The Origin of the Name Agar Agar

In Japanese, the word Agar is called Kanten, meaning "cold sky," referring to its natural chilling production method. The word Agar as we know it comes from Malay, meaning "jelly." Originally, it was simply called "Agar." Later, when Japanese people emigrated to Malaysia, they introduced this culture. However, Malaysians preferred to say "Agar" twice to emphasize the word, thus "Agar" became "Agar Agar" as we know it today.

Spread to the West and Scientific Discovery

Over time, the use of Agar Agar as an ingredient for gels and jellies spread widely to neighboring countries like China and Korea. By the 17th century, Agar Agar was introduced to Europe, where European scientists were greatly fascinated by this ingredient.

Later, in the late 18th century, Anselme Payen, a French chemist, made a significant breakthrough. He successfully isolated a substance called Agarose from red algae, which is the main gelling component of Agar Agar. This discovery paved the way for further research and the utilization of Agar Agar in various industries. Moreover, Agar Agar is also a popular ingredient in vegetarian and vegan diets, commonly used as an alternative to gelatin, which is derived from animals.

Differences Between Gelatin-Based Jelly and Agar Agar

Gelatin-Based Jelly: Derived from collagen, a protein found in the connective tissues of animals such as bones, tendons, and skin. It undergoes cooking, which converts collagen into gelatin, then it is dried and ground into small granules.

Agar Agar: A jelly extracted from certain types of red seaweeds. It contains a substance that does not dissolve in cold water. When solidified, it forms a flexible gel. It is widely used in the food industry, and in Thailand, it is popular for making various traditional desserts like wun na kati (coconut cream agar), wun chun (layered agar), and wun sangkhaya (custard agar).

With its ability to form gels at low temperatures and remain stable even in hot climates, Agar Agar is a widely popular ingredient globally for producing desserts, jellies, jams, and even some savory dishes.