Description
Agar agar is dissolved, cooled, and aerated to create a weak gel that traps air bubbles as a temporary foam.
Technical
When agar is heated to 80–90 °C its polysaccharide chains solubilize; upon cooling to 40–45 °C they partially reassociate into a semi‑solid network that can encapsulate air. The resulting gel matrix provides mechanical stability to the foam while remaining soft enough to collapse after 15–30 minutes at ambient temperature.
Science
Primary Reaction
Thermal gelation of agar polysaccharide forming a semi‑solid hydrogel that entraps air bubbles
Sensory Profile
Aroma ()
neutralsubtlemarinelightcleandelicateseaweed-like
Origin & History
Civilization
Spanish (Catalan) and British modernist chefs (e.g., Ferran Adrià, Heston Blumenthal)