Agar is very popular, especially children. Calling the name of agar, our memories are immediately fixed on chewy, clear, and colorful foods. Once inside the mouth, the texture feels soft and melts itself if not swallowed immediately. That is the pleasure of agar. As a snack, it includes food that is familiar with children’s tongues.

What is agar? Agar is a complex group of polysaccharides. Derived from seaweed. Most agar is obtained from Gracilaria and Gelidium seaweed. It has melting properties at 85 ° C (with cooking) and solidifies to form a gel at a temperature of 32-40 ° C.

The uniqueness of agar has hydrophilic properties (binding to water) that are balanced with synerisis (releasing water).

Agar from Gracilaria red seaweed is also a source of natural fiber with the highest fiber content of 81.2% compared to other natural sources of fiber that are well known both from vegetables and fruits.

Agar is also widely used as an additive used as a thickener, filler or stabilizer in various types of food such as ice cream, cheese, candy, jelly, chocolate milk, herbs, sauces, pudding, dodol, mayonnaise, nuget, and sausages.

The elasticity of agar is also widely used by people as a mixture of products outside food, such as mixing cosmetic products, ointments, creams, toothpaste, hair tonic fertilizers, and bath soaps. The textile, paint, medicine, and animal feed industries also use gelatin in the industrial sector.

In Japan, agar which is called kanten has long been a prima donna in its various culinary creations. Just say yokan and anmitsu. Both are traditional Japanese snacks that are very popular as wagashi or tea-side snacks that are made from gelatin.

Yokan is a kind of beam-shaped jelli made from red bean paste, agar, and sugar, while Anmitsu is a food made from agar which is served with various types of fruits.

In Western countries, it has also been widely consumed as a substitute for gelatin dessert. Agar has a low calorie content so it can be used as a diet food and is useful for diabetics. Agar is also an alternative choice for vegetarians as a substitute for gelatin from animals.

Has been the biggest market for water gel products especially for Asia countries that like to have the unique texture of water gel desserts from agar ranging from firm to soft texture pudding products.

A popular hydrocolloid in making a firm and clean-cut / non-sticking jelly candies in some countries that like to have less chewy and easy-to-bite jelly candies. Agar is a good substitute in vegan gummy bear type candies. Our Agarin Soluble is a low temperature dissolving agar powder with different gel strength available.