Agar powder also known as agar-agar powder is a mixture of carbohydrates that are extracted from red algae which is a type of sea weed. In Japanese agar powder is often referred to as Kanten. Agar is a jelly like substance which is similar to gelatin but it does not have any smell, flavour or colour and it used as a vegan gelatin alternative in many culinary dishes. Agar powder does not contain any sugar, starch, yeast, salt, wheat, gluten, corn, soy, milk, eggs, preservatives or animal by-products. This shows that agar powder is healthy since it doesn’t contain any additives.
Agar powder is used as a thickener for soups, it is used to make jams and jellies and also it is used to make ice cream and desserts that need time to set. Although agar powder is a substitute for gelatin, agar sets more firmly than gelatine so you are guaranteed to have a desert that is less jiggly and creamy. Furthermore, agar stays firm even on hot days whereas gelatin tends to melt a bit. Therefore you might consider using agar to substitute gelatine in your dishes since it has so many benefits. If you are interested in trying agar powder this article highlights where to find agar powder in grocery store and it also provides a list of grocery stores that sell agar powder.
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Which aisle to check for agar powder in grocery store
When looking for agar powder the first place to find agar powder in a grocery store is in the baking aisle or section. This is because most people use agar powder as a baking ingredient. You are most likely to find it sealed in a small to medium sized bag or pouch.
If you do not find agar powder in the above stated area you can check the natural food aisle that is if your grocery store has that particular aisle. This is because agar powder comes from a sea weed called red algae so it can be treated as a natural type of food.
The other aisle where you can find agar powder in grocery store is the international aisle and usually you might come across it at the Asian foods section. This is because agar powder has its origins in Asia, so it is usually used in Asian dishes.
If you do not find agar powder in any of the stated aisles you can move on to check the supplement aisle this is because it is usually used as a dietary aid by some people.
The last place that you can find agar powder in grocery store is the bulk section of the grocery store, but this only happens in a few grocery stores.
What grocery stores sell agar powder?
Amazon– this is one of the biggest online stores in the world and the advantage of buying agar powder on Amazon is that you can do it in the comfort of your home.
Asian markets– you can buy agar powder at your nearest Asian market this is because Asians usually use it in their dishes so the probability of you finding it there is very high. Furthermore, Asian markets have a wide range of agar you can find it in powder form, flakes or even threads.
Kroger– agar powder is found at Kroger and they also have agar flakes if you are interested.
Walmart– you can find different brands of agar powder at Walmart some of which include Cape Crystal and Landor Trading. If you do not feel like physically going to Walmart or if there is no Walmart store in your area you can use the online store locater from Walmart to check for the nearest grocery stores in your area that have a agar powder.
Trader Joe’s– you can find agar powder at Trader Joe’s
Local health food store– agar is a natural product that has so many health benefits so you can easily find it in your local health food store. Usually it is found in the baking aisle.
Whole foods market– you can find agar powder in the international aisle at Whole foods market but if you want to buy it in bulk then you can check the bulk aisle they usually have it in store.
Exciting ways of using agar powder
Use agar powder to make vegan cheese
Agar powder can be used to make vegan cheese. The first thing is to cook agar powder with water in a saucepan until it gels then you can add all the other ingredients that you like. You can then place the agar powder that contains all the ingredients of your choice in the refrigerator and allow it to set.
Use agar powder to make vegan gummy bears
Agar powder does not contain gluten so you can use it to make your own gummy bears if you are gluten intolerant. So you can add any flavours you like to the agar powder when making your gummy bears.
Conclusion
Agar powder is a healthy substitute for gelatine and it can be found in the baking aisle in many grocery stores, this is because it is commonly used as a baking ingredient. Agar powder is also found on the international aisle in some grocery stores because it is treated as an international ingredient since it originated in Asia. The natural food aisle and the supplement aisle are also great places to check for agar powder in a grocery store. However, if you would like to buy agar powder in bulk you can check the bulk sections of the grocery store and it is also important to note that buying agar powder in bulk is cheaper. There are a number of grocery stores were you can shop for agar powder and these include Amazon, Walmart, Kroger and Whole foods market just to mention a few. You can try out some of the exciting ways to use agar powder that have been listed in this article.
