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What is gelatin made of?
Typical gelatin is a protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, or bones with water. Most of the materials used are obtained from cows and pigs. Therefore, gelatin is not vegan.
Where is gelatin used?
Gelatin is still widely used by the food and cosmetics industries. Typical use cases include:
Gelatin use in cosmetics
Used in shampoos, face masks, and other cosmetic products.
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Explore new cuisinesGelatin use in food
Used as a thickener for fruit gelatins and puddings, candies, marshmallows, cakes, ice cream, and yogurts.
Gelatin use in the pharmaceutical industry
Used as a coating and in capsules.
Gelatin use in photography
It was used in analog photography for the gelatin process — a photographic technique in which gelatin serves as the dispersing vehicle for light-sensitive silver salts.
Gelatin use in beverages
Sometimes gelatin is also used to assist in clarifying wine and beer.
Agar-agar, the vegan gelatin alternative
Agar-agar is a plant-based gelatin derived from seaweed. It’s widely sold in flake, powder, bar, and strand forms. It’s often used in dairy-free and vegan recipes as a stabilizer and thickener. It is also used in gluten-free recipes as a thickener and is very nutritious.
What is agar-agar?
Agar-agar is a jellylike substance made from red algae, a type of seaweed.
Difference between agar-agar and gelatin
The main difference between agar-agar and gelatin is their source. Whereas animal-based gelatins are made from animals, agar-agar is vegan, coming from red algae. Also, when cooking with agar-agar, it requires different preparation. For example, agar-agar needs to be boiled to set, while gelatin can simply dissolve in warm water.
