For the preparation of jelly, thick confectionery creams, cold or jellied fish, various thickeners are used, and the most common ones are gelatin and agar-agar. Both products deservedly enjoy universal love and are very popular among owners all over the world, so it's very difficult to choose which of them is the best. Everyone has his own unconditional advantages and weaknesses.
Gelatin, pluses and minuses
Gelatin is a product of animal origin, 90% composed of collagen, plus a small amount of iron, calcium, potassium and phosphorus, eighteen amino acids and infrequent vitamin PP in other foods. Thanks to such an excellent composition, gelatin is able to strengthen the heart muscle, improve mental activity, significantly speed up the metabolism, and also help to normalize the functions of the nervous system. This product has a good effect on nails, skin and hair, due to collagen they start to grow stronger, healthy and beautiful.
It is quite caloric, because almost 100 grams account for almost 355 calories, but given that an insignificant amount of gelatin is used for cooking, this defect can be omitted. Another disadvantage is the jelly hardening period, which takes place at a temperature of 5-7 degrees and lasts at least an hour.
What is good about agar-agar
Agar-agar has several clear advantages over gelatin. It is more rich in vitamins and microelements: it contains vitamin A, B and D vitamins, which are necessary for our body iodine, and all the same calcium, potassium, phosphorus and iron.
It stiffens almost instantly, jelly from agar-agar is prepared literally in a matter of minutes. An undeniable advantage is that the pour point is about 30-40 Celsius, which means that jelly does not melt even at room temperature on a hot summer day. In addition, he has absolutely no taste, no smell. For vegetarians and those who fast, agar-agar is a real salvation, because it is made from the stems of red and brown algae caught mainly in the Pacific Ocean.
Although its caloric content is less than that of gelatin, and is only 300 calories per 100 grams, it should be noted that 75% of it is made up of fast carbohydrates that instantly enter the bloodstream in the form of glucose and then are stored in fatty folds. In turn, gelatin is 90% protein, which is slowly digested and serves as an excellent food for muscles and bones.
As you can see, the choice between gelatin and agar-agar is really difficult. However, in many cases it is predetermined by the recipe of the dish that you are cooking.