In culinary practice, agar agar is a vegetable substitute for animal-based gelatins. It is a thickener for soups, ice cream, jellies, and desserts.

Agar agar is dried and packaged in strips, flakes, or powder and sold in most good supermarkets and Asian food stores.

Like animal-based gelatin, agar agar is rich in protein, iron, and the wide array of minerals normally found in seaweed. Agar agar gels more firmly than gelatin and sets and melts at a higher temperature (it will even set at room temperature).

The website Bien Manger, encourages as it tells you that the enjoyment of agar agar depends on an understanding of its gelling and thickening properties.

Bien Manger shares a Golden Rule that is vital to your successful use of this product: Agar dissolves at 85-degrees C and resets when the temperature falls below 40-degrees C. If the agar agar sets too quickly or seems too thick, a little boiling water will bring it back to the proper consistency. But, it is the texture of the finished dish that is all-important. Bien Manger provides a table of proportions of agar agar to be used for proper texture and strongly advises these amounts must be precise for the anticipated, almost etheral, quality of the best jellies.

Creme caramel custards are delightful examples of the extraordinary texture to be achieved with careful use of this all vegetable product.

This recipe for vegetarian marshmallows is easy and produces good results. Flavoring oils like peppermint add a nice touch. Food coloring adds interest and fun. Cut into squares, these marshmallows are ready for s'mores or to finish a cup of hot chocolate. Find a Peeps cutter at your local variety store, use lots of sugar to combat stickiness, and vegetarian Peeps appear almost as if by magic.

Anne Dufour, author of numerous health and fitness books, recommends this simple way to use agar agar to help you feel full and moderate the amount you eat: About 15 minutes before a meal, mix 1 gram agar agar into a cup of your favorite hot drink (coffee, tea, broth, soup), stir well, and drink while very hot.

Agar agar is an effective laxative, or intestinal regulator. It is approximately 80% fiber, and once ingested, absorbs water, and triples in size, leaving a sensation of being full.

The few moments needed to understand how this product works will benefit your diet routine. It will also help when you are ready to ease the diet and explore the world of Peeps.

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