There is one “but” in a huge number of recipes for various confectionery products: they involve the use of chicken eggs. And this is unacceptable for vegetarians (except for ovo-vegetarians). Fortunately, in the preparation of vegetarian confectionery, such a powerful gelling agent as agar-agar has long been known – an excellent alternative to eggs and gelatin.
About 4% of the mass of agar-agar is mineral salts, about 20% is water, and the rest is pyruvic and glucuronic acids, pentose, agarose, agaropectin, angiogalactose.
Actually, agar-agar is an extract of brown and red algae, which completely dissolves in boiling water, and when the water is cooled to forty degrees Celsius, it becomes a gel. Moreover, the transitions from a solid state to a liquid state and vice versa are unlimited.
The unique chemical and physical properties of agar-agar were discovered back in 1884 by the German microbiologist Hesse. Few people know that the food supplement 406 with the alarming prefix “E” is absolutely harmless. Guessed? Yes, this is agar-agar, which is what we are talking about. In principle, it can be eaten in large quantities, but we are not going to eat it just like that, are we?
Using agar-agar, we can create masterpieces of a vegetarian “confectionery” that will be not only tasty, but also healthy! But since the benefits are not only in quality, but also in quantity, then agar-agar, which contains many vitamins, macro-, microelements, hard-to-digest coarse fiber, should not be taken recklessly.
With the help of this useful product, jams, marshmallows, marmalade, candy fillings, soufflés, marshmallows, chewing gum and so on are prepared. “Confectionery” with agar-agar is highly recommended for people suffering from constipation and diabetes.
If you have not yet become a vegetarian, then know that your life will become no less, and maybe even sweeter than it was, because delicacies are not uncommon on the vegetarian table!