Special guest, The Broth Sisters , take us through just what the hell agar agar is and why you want it in your diet.
-------
It’s no secret that The Broth Sisters get excited about healthy wholesome food packed with natural goodness. And they also like to stay on their toes by constantly innovating with ingredients to come up with amazing products.
This is why it’s such a delight to introduce you to one of The Broth Sisters' new favourite things: agar agar. In fact, they are the first in the world to use agar agar as the not-so-secret ingredient for their 100% plant-based broths in tea bags.
Bone broths are popular for their nourishing health benefits. The Broth Sisters' plant-based sipping broths have similar nutritional benefits, thanks to agar agar. Which is great news for vegans and vegetarians (or those who are simply curious about this way of eating). But what the heck is agar agar, we hear you say.
So what is agar agar?
Otherwise known as vegan gelatin, kanten, Japanese gelatin or China grass, agar agar is a jelly-like agent that comes from seaweed (specifically red algae). It makes for a fantastic plant-based alternative to animal gelatin (collagen) because it has no odour or flavour.
In cooking, this versatile food is used to thicken foods and comes in a number of forms: powder, flake and bar. Just like chia seeds, the best way to use agar agar is to mix it with liquid and watch transfixed as it magically thickens up your soup, dessert, sauce, broth or ice cream!
If you’ve never used it before, head to your local health food shop, Asian store or local specialty grocer to try it out for yourself.
Health benefits
Agar agar has been touted as the latest superfood. This unique food deserves its ever-growing reputation because it’s packed with health benefits:
- Good for the gut: it’s now widely known that health is directly linked to the state of your digestive system and gut. With plenty of fibre content, agar agar helps keep you regular and relieves constipation.
- Nutritional star: apart from fibre, agar agar also includes a heap of micronutrients. These include magnesium, folate, iron, calcium and manganese, along with smaller amounts of various vitamins.
- Bone health: this super seaweed contains a number of nutrients that are vital for bones and their healthy formation.
- Prevents anaemia: it’s said that one ounce of agar agar provides a third of the recommended amount of iron you need in a day, which helps produce healthy red blood cells and reduces the risk of anaemia.
All in all, agar agar is a versatile and super healthy food that will add an intriguing dimension to your culinary diet.
-------
You can check out The Broth Sisters' full range of broth products on The Broth Sisters and follow them on Instagram or Facebook @thebrothsisters for more information about their agar agar and their broth products. They've also shared an exclusive discount code with the RY community: RYWIN for 20% off online until 30/09/20