Agar is a kind of plant gum, which is generally made of Eucheuma, agar and Gracilaria. It is a colorless, amorphous solid, soluble in hot water. It is widely used in food industry, and is also often used as a bacterial culture medium. Why is it called agar? It is mainly made of Eucheuma or Hainan agar. Hainan is called Joan for short.
Extended data
Agar made of seaweed is translucent amorphous powder, flake or particle. Processing and production are mainly distributed in Shandong, Liaoning and Guangdong provinces. Agar has several different shapes, such as thin strips, long strips, thin slices and small pieces, and thin strips are the best. The foreign producing areas are Japan, Korea, New Zealand, the United States and Russia. Agar is insoluble in cold water and can absorb 20 times its own volume. Diluent is dissolved in boiling water, and remains liquid at 42℃( 108 ℉), but condenses into a tight gel at 37℃. Agar is a component of cell wall, which contains complex carbohydrates, calcium and sulfate.