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Agar

Agar is a seaweed-derived gelling agent used to set jellies, desserts, and other foods.

Agar — illustrative ingredient image

About Agar

Agar is a dried or powdered gelling ingredient obtained from certain red seaweeds. It is used to set jellies, custards, molded desserts, confectionery, glazes, and some savoury preparations. Agar is an ingredient used to make a gel, not the same product as a finished agar jelly or dessert.

It has little flavour. Once dissolved and cooled, it forms a firm, clean-cut gel with a texture that is more brittle or crisp than gelatin-based gels. Setting strength and behaviour depend on product type, concentration, acidity, sugar, and other ingredients.

Agar is sold as powder, flakes, bars, or strands and is dispersed in liquid before heating. The dry form changes substantially when hydrated, dissolved, heated, and cooled, becoming a set gel whose firmness depends on the formulation and concentration.

Ingredient type
derived ingredient

Forms & related ingredients

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Where will you meet it?

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Where agar appears

8 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

Showing 1–8 of 8

Desserts

Drinks

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for agar

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Agar-agar

English

Seaweed, agar, dried

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Seaweed, agar, raw

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Agar nutrition & diet

Agar nutritional value

Seaweed, agar, dried

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the recorded food form.

Calories
306kcal
Protein
6.2g
Carbs
80.9g
Fat
0.3g

Reference values for the specific food form shown. Other varieties, brands and preparations can differ.

Portions & preparation

Use the exact agar form, such as powder, flakes, or strips, because concentration and preparation determine how much is present in a finished food. A reference should distinguish dry ingredient from reconstituted gel and account for accompanying sugar, juice, dairy, or other recipe components.

Compare the right form: Match food-grade agar powder, flakes, or strips in the stated dry or prepared form; a finished gel requires its complete recipe.

Diet considerations

Agar is derived from seaweed and is generally used as a plant-origin gelling ingredient. Compatibility changes when a formulation includes gelatin, dairy, eggs, sweeteners, flavorings, or cereal ingredients. Do not infer the dietary status of a commercial blend without its ingredient list and processing details.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central — Seaweed, agar, dried ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .