Description
Agar‑agar forms a gel when heated to dissolve and then cooled to set, with flash‑gel achieved by rapid cooling to create micro‑gel spheres.
Technical
Heating agar‑agar to 80–90 °C solubilizes the polysaccharide chains, allowing them to adopt random coils. Upon cooling to 35–40 °C, the chains form double‑helical aggregates that entangle into a three‑dimensional network, producing a gel whose rigidity depends on concentration. Flash‑gel accelerates this process by dropping the temperature to 0–5 °C within seconds, yielding fine micro‑gels with minimal syneresis.
Science
Primary Reaction
Thermal dissolution followed by cooling‑induced double‑helix formation
Sensory Profile
Aroma ()
neutralsubtlemarinecleanmineral-likefresh seaweed
Origin & History
Civilization
East Asian peoples