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You can use Agar as a thickener or gelling agent in many recipes, including: It is a highly versatile ingredient since it won’t dominate your recipe. You can find it in Asian desserts like nata de coco (a delicious chewy coconut jelly dessert) or the classic Japanese dessert yokan (a bean paste jelly).Īdditionally, Agar has a mild flavor. Its gelling properties make it an excellent ingredient for creating jiggle foods like panna cotta, custard, and jelly. It comes from red algae called Gelidium, and it is commonly used to create vegan jellies and desserts. Tapioca Starch has no taste and can be used to give a smooth texture to food like custards, puddings, and pies.īelow is a Agar agar vs tapioca starch comparison that sheds more light on their differences.īut before we proceed, what are agar agar and tapioca starch? What Is Agar Agar?Īgar agar, also known as the “ vegan gelatin,” is a plant-based alternative to gelatin that can be used as a thickener in foods. Agar Agar has a very mild taste that other ingredients can mask. However, Agar Agar is used as a vegan alternative to gelatin.Īgar Agar is rich in fiber, while Tapioca Starch is high in carbohydrates.
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Vegan gelatin blends act the same as regular gelatin, with a low melting point that makes for a great jelly or mousse.This article may contain affiliate links and if you make a purchase after clicking on a link, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.Īgar agar and tapioca starch are food ingredients used to thicken the consistency of desserts and other foods. Just Wholefoods’s Vegeset is also a great alternative, using only carrageenan, sodium citrate and potassium chloride, Vegi Gel, another vegan gelatin substitute, is a blend of dextrose, carrageenan, carob gum, potassium chloride and calcium acetate. Many brands offer products made from a blend of different plant-based ingredients - usually one of the above, some kind of vegetable gum, acidity regulators and firming agents - to act as a gelling agent similar to gelatin.ĭr Oetker’s Vege-Gel is made from a mix of dextrose, carrageenan, locust bean gum, calcium acetate as an acidity regulator, and potassium chloride as a firming agent. Not an ingredient by itself, but effective nonetheless. It’s considerably harder to find and is most likely available in health and online stores. If bought in seaweed form, carrageenan needs to be soaked for around 12 hours and then boiled.īecause of its softer setting properties, this is best used in puddings, mousses, soft jellies and ice creams. You can buy it in powdered or dried seaweed form and it can be odourless. Unlike agar-agar, this is slightly softer and is most commonly used for a melt-in-your-mouth texture.Ĭarrageenan too is extracted from red seaweed, and it’s a common ingredient in plant-based meat products. CarrageenanĪlso known as Irish moss, this is another popular gelling agent. Read our story about the Japanese sweets, wagashi, many of which use agar-agar. This works best in desserts like panna cotta and marshmallows. You can find the powdered form in most supermarkets, while specialist Asian stores will have the strips. A teaspoon of agar powder is the equivalent of a tablespoon of agar flakes, and can render about a cup of liquid.Īgar-agar is the most widely available alternative to gelatin. Powdered agar dissolves in water quickly and easily, and generally doesn’t require cooking. You can usually substitute gelatin with agar-agar in equal quantities. It’s also known as kanten, China grass and Ceylon moss. Like gelatin, it’s flavourless, but it does set firmer. It’s a kind of Japanese red algae usually sold in powdered or flaked form, or as washed and dried seaweed strips. This is the most common (and most often mispronounced) plant-based substitute for the setting agent.
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Here are three of the best vegan gelatin substitutes, so you can make your own jellies, mousses and even ice creams. While there are many creative ways to substitute gelatin in vegan food, there are some direct alternatives that work better than the rest. Of course, that means it isn’t vegan-friendly. But usually, gelatin is derived from animal-derived collagen, commonly from fish, beef, pork and chicken. Gelatin is a staple in kitchens for both sweet and savoury foods, with its setting and shaping properties loved by chefs and bakers alike. The wonderful alternatives that make things like vegan jelly, sliceable cheese and marshmallows: here are the best vegan substitutes for gelatin.