Agar-agar

Agar-agar is a vegetarian gelling agent made from a red seaweed. Not as powerful as gelatine, you can buy it in powder, stick and flake forms from Oriental markets. In its stick form, agar-agar is also often eaten in the Far East as a salad ingredient, after it has been softened in warm water for just long enough to make it al dente (left to soak too long, it will dissolve completely). Store agar-agar in zip-lock bags in the fridge.