Why isn't agar agar more popular?

I think it depends on people’s preferences in each country. What I can say is that agar agar is not really as popular as jelly/jello(less commercialized) even though we discover it first. I myself,prefer agar agar than jelly since it’s smoother and less chemical than jelly. And yes,I really hate ‘the rubberiness’ of jelly.

People are limited by availability in stores. Since gelatin is a by-product of (heavily-subsidized) meat production, it’s extremely cheap. Companies will therefore use gelatin wherever possible, rather than agar. The availability of agar will therefore be much smaller, if it’s available at all, and where it is available, it will be at a premium price.

chefs use agar agar…....just not so much in the everyday home.
After all, Bill Cosby loves jello.

So agar has the same like look as jello, but its just smoother and creamy like? Like flan or what? I dont think ive ever tried it, but it sounds good.

@uberbatman The most likely place you’ve had agar is ice cream. Nearly all ice creams use agar, probably because it’s creamier than gelatin.

@SmashTheState You mean like with the ice cream or as an ingredient in the actual ice cream. If its with the ice cream i dont believe i have, if its ingredient in it, well i dont think id ever tell lol.

@uberbatman All ice creams need a gelling agent to keep ice crystals from forming. This is why ice cream is smooth and not crunchy, like a popsicle. The vast majority of ice creams use agar as the gelling agent. As I mentioned before, they probably use agar rather than gelatin because agar is smoother and creamier. No one wants tough, rubbery ice cream.

@SmashTheState thats not true…. i make ice cream all the time and never use such agent…. and you can ask anyone who’s ever had my ice cream, i make amazing fuckin ice cream :P

But still that doesnt really answer the question of how agar tastes and whatnot, its like trying to guess what eggs taste like from eating a cupcake.

@uberbatman You probably eat your ice cream immediately after making it. Commercial ice cream has to sit on the shelf for weeks or months. In that time, ice crystals would form without an emulsifier like agar. I don’t think agar has a taste of its own.

@SmashTheState usually holds a couple weeks but i suppose. So its completely flavorless like plain gelatin and then flavor must be added? But texture, like flan?

Could the name “agar agar” have anything to do with it?

@uberbatman , It is a little hard to describe the texture of agar. It is a little like flan, but less creamy. To find out, take a trip to a health food store and pick up a package. Follow the directions for proper proportions of juice and agar. Make sure to the agar soak in the juice before heating. After soaking for a while, the mixture will be noticeably thick.

I agree with what @SmashTheState said about gellatin being a by product of the meat processing industry and so is more popular in the USA where we have been meat mongers for a few centuries rather than seaweed harvesters.

Agar agar makes excellent treats! Any fruit you puree and mix with it becomes smooth cool heaven. I’ve eaten countless flavors of ice creams, sorbets and “jellos” made with agar agar and prefer it because of the silkiness. I’m a jello junkie.