China grass or Agar Agar or Kanten is a sea weed and completely vegetarian. It gives a smooth, glossy finish and many chefs prefer to use it over gelatin. China grass, if used properly sets easily at room temperature. The method of using Agar Agar or Gelatin (which is derived from the collagen inside animals’ skin and bones) may be the same. Agar agar comes in flakes or powders.
Be careful to follow the recipe correctly to get the desired texture. These are some useful tips to cook with agar agar, china grass or kanten:
- They need to be broken into pieces and softened by soaking in cold water for about 10-15 minutes.
- Heat in low flame for them to melt completely. Never heat on a high or even medium flame.
- When you boil agar agar, stir continuously or the flakes/powder will set in the bottom.
- Do not over cook the agar agar mixture as it tends to set while cooking.
- The agar agar mixture has to be added to another hot mixture immediately. Both the mixtures have to be HOT for the agar agar to set properly. If any one of them is cold, then your dessert will not set properly
- In case the agar agar mixture solidifies before you add to another hot mixture, reheat in low flame until it melts again completely and then add it.
Hi As the person Amrita asked in April I would like to do a cold savoury mousse dish using agar agar. Your introduction says it has to be HOT to HOT and it will not work in a cold dish? What can I do here the dish is chilled not heated? Thank you
What if I want to set something that cannot be heated?
Dear kavitha..
Thank you for this information. I want to know how to add powder agar with vergan cheese with milk or after be cheese.
With My greeting
Malik
1 packet of gelatine, how many cups of water and sugar, I want the ratio of water and sugar
Thanks
I have purchased a .25g packet of china grass but there are no instructions on how to use this .. I understand that I have to heat this slowly but don’t know how much water should be used with this one packet, would be grateful for some help please.
I can’t find agar – agar anywhere…. Can I use china grass instead of gelatine in. Cheesecake and in what quantity?
YEs, but see that it is flavorless
I’d definitely say moisten it in water for a couple minutes before adding to smoothie. I’ve never used it just like that before.
Could I use agar agar as I do gelatine in my smoothies, currently I just put a packet of gelatine in a blender full of smoothie for the benefits of gelatine could I add agar Agar in the same way. I’m not using it as a thickening agent just as a health benefit so would I need to heat it first or soak it, so unsure what to do any help would be great, cheers.
Maggie@expatbrazil
I would just pass these flakes through a spice mixer / food processor to break it up & make a powder.
Hi,
Im making a vegan cheese and the recipe im using calls for agar agar powder, could i substitute flakes ? and if so whats the conversion from flakes to powder vice versa.
Thank You
I m using agar agar strands so what ll b the quantity instead of gelatin powder ? Pls help its urgent
depends on the recipe.. for any recipe that calls for gelatin, you can use agar agar in the exact same quantity and use as instructed.. it will work
Hey I want to use agar agar / china grass to make cheese cake ..pls tell me if it ll set properly or no
Do you substitute the same amount of agar agar in a recipe that calls for gelatin?
Hey, Yes, I do.
i want to make a mousse with agar agar. Is it necessary to heat the blended fruit mixture before I add the hot agar agar?
hi.. you’d essentially use the agar agar just like you would use gelatin. Now i don’t know what recipe you’re following so I wouldn’t know whether to heat or not