In cooking, to what ingredient is AGAR AGAR a vegetarian alternative ?
Agar Agar Agar (pronounced , sometimes ) or agar-agar is a jelly-like substance, obtained from red algae. Agar is a mixture of two components: the linear polysaccharide agarose, and a heterogeneous mixture of smaller molecules called agaropectin. It forms the supporting structure in the cell walls of certain species of algae, and is released on boiling. These algae are known as agarophytes, and belong to the Rhodophyta (red algae) phylum. Agar has been used as an ingredient in desserts throughout Asia, and also as a solid substrate to contain culture media for microbiological work. Agar can be used as a laxative,
Agar agar jelly and served in a bowl with various fruits or other ingredients. It is also the main ingredient in "mizu yōkan", another popular Japanese food. In Philippine cuisine, it is used to make the jelly bars in the various gulaman refreshments or desserts such as "sago gulaman", "buko pandan", "agar flan", "halo-halo", and the black and red "gulaman" used in various fruit salads. In Vietnamese cuisine, jellies made of flavored layers of agar agar, called "thạch", are a popular dessert, and are often made in ornate molds for special occasions. In Indian cuisine, agar agar is known as "China