Meaning & use
agar-agar
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Meanings
noununcountable
A jelly-like substance from seaweed, used in cooking to set liquids into a firm gel.
Grammar: Uncountable: a teaspoon of agar-agar.
Patterns
- agar-agar powder
- set something with agar-agar
We used agar-agar instead of gelatin so the dessert was vegetarian.
Dissolve a teaspoon of agar-agar in boiling water and let it cool.
Agar-agar sets at room temperature, unlike gelatin, which needs a fridge.
noununcountablebiologytechnical
A gel made from this substance, used in laboratories to grow bacteria and other microorganisms.
Grammar: Uncountable in science: bacteria grew on the agar-agar.
Patterns
- grow something on agar-agar
The students grew bacteria on agar-agar in small dishes.
Agar-agar gives microbes a firm surface and the nutrients they need.
The petri dishes were filled with warm agar-agar that cooled into a clear gel.
Common combinations
- agar-agar powder
- Agar-agar powder dissolves in hot water.
- agar-agar flakes
- She stirred agar-agar flakes into the fruit juice.
- set with agar-agar
- The jelly was set with agar-agar.
- dissolve agar-agar
- Dissolve agar-agar in boiling liquid before it cools.
- agar-agar jelly
- The cafe serves agar-agar jelly with fruit.
Synonyms and how they differ
- agar
- Agar is the shorter everyday name and means the same thing.
- gelatin
- Gelatin comes from animal bones and skin, while agar-agar comes from seaweed and sets more firmly.
- kanten
- Kanten is the Japanese name and is used for a specific traditional product.
- vegetable gelatin
- Vegetable gelatin is a descriptive label for agar-agar, but it is not an exact name.
Word family
- agar noun
- the shorter form of the word
- agarose noun
- a purified substance from agar used in laboratories
- seaweed noun
- the plant material from which agar-agar is made
Commonly confused: agar-agar or gelatin?
agar-agar vs gelatin
Gelatin is made from animal parts and is not suitable for vegetarians, while agar-agar is plant-based.
Practice
A vegetarian cook wants a firm jelly that does not use animal products. Which ingredient is best?
Choose one answer.
Agar-agar comes from seaweed and sets liquids firmly. Gelatin looks tempting but is made from animal parts, and lard and suet are animal fats.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “agar-agar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.