Heavenly Sent Agar-Agar 天草

Agar-agar Tofu Salad  寒天干絲

Agar-agar   

Agar, a fiber extracted from red algae, a thickening or jellifying agent extracted.

The word ~ agar ~ comes from the Malay word agar-agar (meaning jelly).  In Chinese, it is known as China Grass . In Japanese, it is known as Kanten .  Other languages like Korea, Philippines, Thai all have their own name for it.

Agar-agar is approximately 80% fiber, so it can serve as an intestinal regulators.  It is one of the most popular fad diets in Asia.  Once eaten, agar-agar triples in size and absorbs water.  This results in feeling the fullness.  The diet has shown positive promise in obesity studies in the United States. 

Agar-agar is sold in packages as washed and dried strips or in powdered form.

"Tofu Banquet" on 04/18/2011 at Seven Seas Restaurant

By Washingtonian Gourmet Association (WGA)

石花菜+龍鬚菜 = 寒天 

~ 最高貴而不貴的保健珍品 ~

~中華本草~《日用本草綱目》：石花菜，生南海沙石間，可食用。

是現今當紅魅力的食材！

石花菜，地球最原始的植物，一种野生的藻類，生長在深海裡，是紅藻 (Red Algae) 的細胞壁，以破壁技術萃取所提煉而成的天然食品，石花菜 主要成分是海藻膠，含有藻紅素、藻藍素、維生素 B1、B2 及多種礦物質等營養素，為一種富含水溶性纖維質、膠質的健康食品，具有多種保健功效，能幫助維持消化機能，清腸利尿，民間俗稱~海燕窩~。日本人稱石花菜為天草。

石花菜是海水植物，與紫菜等同屬紅藻類，是造物者送給糖尿病族、銀髮族、減肥族，最高貴而不貴的保健珍品。

中華本草: 中國國家中醫藥管理局《中華本草》編委會編纂