"Agar oh agar, where art thou agar?"
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Couple of weeks ago, I went to a brand new Asian store in Brier Creek. As I was looking around for some yummy Korean goods (which I didn’t get), my eyes set on agar! Mango agar to make it sound a little better!
It’s agar though, isn't that cool! Agar, which my lab uses all the time, is used to solidify liquids into a jelly substance, such as LB broth. If agar is added, LB broth miraculously turns into LB agar! When I first started to use agar, I did a little research on agar and found out that agar is actually seaweed extract. Agar is often used in Asian dishes and when I shared this information with my lab, I promised them that if I ever found agar, I would buy it and make it for all of us. So I did buy it! And I made it in mango flavor! The only ingredients needed were either cold water or milk and the agar powder. I made mine with both milk and water, just to see if there would be a significant difference in taste and I’m so glad I did because the milk mango agar was so much better! It had more flavor and just a better *ting* to it. Before my lab got a taste of it (which they still haven’t), some girls in the HH program got a taste. Then at lunch, some more kids got a serving. The texture of the agar was basically just like jello. I don’t see the reason to purchase agar, which is relatively pricier than the american brand. But at least I know now… experience is an amazing gift!
Above: Nancy Wang from the HH program had her serving of mango agar.
Below: Guy tasting the agar.
