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HOME MODERNIST CUISINE INGREDIENTS: HYDROCOLLOIDS, STARCHES & MORE AGAR AGAR (JAPANESE
ISINGLASS, CEYLON MOSS, KANTEN)

Agar Agar (Japanese isinglass, ceylon moss, kanten)

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Agar Agar (also known as agar) is a hydrocolloid used for gelling at high temperatures and as a vegetarian
gelatin substitute. It can be used to create hot gels and cold gels that don't melt at room temperature, to
thicken liquids, produce fluid gels and to clarify stocks. Chef Ferran Adria used Agar to create his famous
agar spaghetti and cold oil spherification technique to make small pearls of a flavored liquid. To activate
agar, it needs to be boiled for two minutes and a gel will form as temperatures drop below 88F/32C. The
gel melts at 185F/85C.
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Agar Origin
Agar is a natural polysaccharide (starch) product extracted from certain
species of red algae. It is a mixture made up predominantly by the straightchain polymer agarose and less so by the heterogenous mixture
agaropectin. Agar is 80% fiber.
Whereas traditional gelatin relies on the properties of animal proteins
derived from cartilage and bone for gelling, the red algae that power agar
are bacteria, not animals. For that reason, agar is a good vegan alternative
for gelatin.
Before the modernist movement in gastronomy, agar was most commonly
used in Asian cuisine to produce desserts such as the jellies pictured at left
and other similar confections. The word "agar" comes from the Malaysian
name for the red algae from which it is derived - "agar-agar." In many
cultures, agar is sold as "agar-agar." Other common names include
Japanese isinglass, ceylon moss, and kanten.

Agar Function
In smaller amounts, it thickens liquids much like the gelatin in a rich stock. At higher concentrations, agar
forms an increasingly stronger gel. Of note, agar stays gelled at room temperature: its melting point is
185F/85C. A strong agar gel may also be blended and used as a fluid gel.

Agar Applications
Agar is used in molecular gastronomy to make a wide variety of dishes including agar spaghetti, balsamic
vinegar pearls with the cold oil spherification method, hot gels, cold gels, fluid gels and clarifying stock. It
can also be used to reduce formation of crystals in ice cream.
Agar Agar Spaghetti, also called molecular spaghetti or flavored spaghetti, is another creation of molecular
gastronomy Chef Ferran Adria and El Bulli team. It consists of a spaghetto or noddle usually about 3 mm to
5 mm thick and 2 m long made of a flavored liquid jellified with agar agar. The spaghetti can be served cold
or hot. The picture below shows the Parmesan Agar Spaghetti.

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The cold oil spherification method consists of cooling droplets of a hot agar solution below 35 C (95 F) by
releasing them in cold oil using a syringe or pipette. Agar agar needs to be heated to boil for jelling and
sets at a temperature of about 32C (88F). The droplets need to cool down and set before they reach the
bottom of the cold oil container to keep a nice spherical shape. The picture below shows the balsamic
vinegar pearls made using this method.

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Agar can also be used to clarify stocks by replacing gelatin in the original "gelatin filtration" method
developed by Harold McGee. The gelatin filtration method consists of freezing a stock or other solution
containing gelatin and then letting it thaw in the fridge in a fine strainer lined with cheesecloth. The
resulting liquid is a perfectly clear consomm containing only water and flavor molecules.
Outside of modernist cuisine, agar can be used as a laxative given its high fiber content, as an appetite
suppressant as it triples in size once ingested as it absorbs water and as a culture medium for various
microorganisms, particularly for bacteria.
View recipes with Agar

Agar Properties
Temperature (gels and melts): boil for two minutes to fully activate the agar; a gel will form at
temperatures below 88F/32C. The gel melts at 185F/85C. Agar gels very fast as temperature drops
making it very convenient for applications such as agar spaghetti and balsamic vinegar pearls.
Texture: Generally considered to be a similar texture to normal gelatin, but slightly more brittle. Other
hydrocolloids can be combined with agar to modify the texture of finished recipes.
Appearance: Semi-transparent. Not as clear as gelatin. Agar Agar is not completely clear when it gels so for
some preparations using clear liquids, the presentation may not be as good as it would be when done with
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gelatin.
Flavor release: Excellent, for a hard gel.
Mouthfeel: Varies, depending on application, but think jellies.
Freeze / Thaw stable: No, syneresis caused by freezing.
Syneresis (weeping): Yes, especially in low concentrations. To prevent syneresis in agar gels, replace 0.1%0.2% agar with locust bean gum.
Shearing: Creates a shear-thinned gel, otherwise known as a fluid gel.
Hysteresis: 140F/60C (approximately)

Interactions and Tolerance of Agar

PH Tolerance: Agar gels will weaken over time at a pH below 6.0. Much more about agar and pH here.
Sugar Tolerance: Sugar content has also a considerable effect over agar gel. Increasing levels of sugar
make gels with harder but less cohesive texture.
Other Tolerances: Will gel in the presence of alcohol, but the gel weakens as alcohol concentration
increases.
Synergies with other ingredients: The most common reason to combine other ingredients with agar is to
fine-tune the texture of finished recipes. For example, to make a gel more or less brittle or elastic. To
prevent syneresis in agar gels, replace 0.1%-0.2% agar with locust bean gum.

How to use Agar

Concentration Range: 0.5-2% for most applications. To replace gelatin, 1 packet Knox = 4 gelatin sheets =
1/2 teaspoon agar agar powder.
In smaller amounts, agar thickens liquids much like the gelatin in a rich stock. At higher concentrations,
agar forms an increasingly stronger gel. Of note, agar stays gelled at room temperature: its melting point is
185F/85C. A strong agar gel may also be blended and used as a fluid gel.
Dispersion: Agar won't dissolve in cold water; the best way to disperse it is to boil it for several minutes.
Hydration: Whisk in cold water, then boil for 2 minutes.
If you try to use agar without first properly dispersing and and hydrating it, you'll end up with clumps of gel
in liquid rather than a uniform gel. To make sure all the agar dissolves, first whisk into cold water, then boil
for at least 2 minutes. The mixture will set once it cools to room temperature.
It is ok to boil the agar in a smaller amount of a target liquid and then combine that liquid with a larger
amount of already cooled liquid in order to avoid boiling all the liquid.
Setting: after boiling for two minutes to fully activate the agar; a gel will form at temperatures below
88F/32C.
Special uses: Clarification
Agar can be used for two types of clarification. In small concentrations, agar can be added to a liquid (such
as a juice or wine), where it will bind with solid particles and allow them to be more easily filtered out. In a
more modernist technique, a weak agar gel is made, then broken up and encouraged to release some of its
liquid through a cheesecloth. The liquid released, through syneresis, comes out clarified.

Chemical Reaction
The gelling portion of agar-agar has a double helical structure. Double helices aggregate to form a threedimensional structure framework which holds the water molecules within the interstices of the framework.
Thus, thermo-reversible gels are formed. The gelling property of agar-agar is due to the three equatorial
hydrogen atoms on the 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose residues, which constrain the molecule to form a helix. The
interaction of the helixes causes the formation of the gel.

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Jesse Risiott 10 months ago

Hi i tried to make an Agar jell out of orange juice and fresh mint (to add to Alcoholic Spheres) but once it
was set i cut it into small blocks and tried some and it tasted almost gritty and not very flavour-full as
the base mix was....I used about a 1% Agar concentration which gave me the sort of gel i was after but
maybe i did something wrong? thanks for any help!
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QuantumChef

Mod > Jesse Risiott

10 months ago

Are you passing the mix through a fine sieve before gelling? Are you heating 100% of the mix?
Just heat half and once agar is dissolved, remove from heat and quickly whisk the rest of the
mixture. You can also try to concentrate the flavor a little more by maybe adding orange peel or
even by gelatin/ agar filtration (http://www.molecularrecipes.co.... I hope this helps!
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3 comments 7 months ago

QuantumChef Hi Jesse, we usually store it in a

squeeze bottle. You shouldn't have to re-shear it
again but you can do so if needed. It

QuantumChef Just let the liquid simmer a little

longer to evaporate all the alcohol before you
add the cheese.

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1 comment 7 months ago

QuantumChef I didn't measure it in this case

but usually it is 3 to 4 times original volume.

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