What Plant Is the Crisp and Tender Agar Weed? An Analysis of Its Nutritional Value and People Who Should Avoid It
Agar weed, also known as sea jelly vegetable, red silk, phoenix tail and so on, is transparent throughout, like jelly, with a crisp and tender texture; it can be served as a cold dish and can also be made into jelly noodles. So what plant is agar weed? Who should not eat it? What are its nutritional values?
What plant is agar weed
Agar weed, in the class Rhodophyceae, family Gelidiaceae, is a type of red algae. The algal body is purplish red or brownish red, flat and upright, growing in tufts with feather-like branches, and the branchlets are opposite or alternate, with each branch tip sharply pointed, generally 10-30 cm tall. It is an important plant gum and belongs to the fibrous food category. Agar weed is also the main raw material for extracting agar, which can be used to make cold foods, jelly or culture media for microorganisms, etc. Agar weed is mainly distributed in the sea areas of Taiwan, China, Hainan and the Xisha Islands.
Agar weed grows on seabed rocks below the low tide line and at a water depth of about 10 m, and prefers sea areas with clean water quality, smooth tidal currents and higher salinity. From August to October, when the water temperature is 25-27°C, is the reproduction period. It grows on seabed rocks from near the low tide line to a water depth of 6-10 m, and the producing areas are generally outer sea areas with very little freshwater influence. The algal body grown in clear water with rapid currents is larger and cleaner, while the algal body grown in turbid water with slow currents is smaller and often has many epiphytic bryozoans. The young bodies of agar weed are mostly seen from September to December, and tetrasporangia, spermatangia and cystocarps appear most from July to October.
Nutritional value of agar weed
Nutritional composition
Algae plants contain a variety of algal proteins, vitamin B, carotene, unsaturated fatty acids, potassium, iron, iodine, phosphorus and other minerals. Due to the particularity of their cell structure, they are easily digested and absorbed by the human body, with a digestion rate of 86%, so regularly drinking algae beverages can improve human immunity. Agar weed is rich in minerals and a variety of vitamins. Agar weed can clear the lungs and resolve phlegm, clear heat and dry dampness, nourish yin and reduce fire, cool the blood and stop bleeding, and also has a heat-relieving effect. In particular, the alginate substances it contains have a blood pressure-lowering effect, and the starch sulfate esters it contains are polysaccharide substances with a lipid-lowering function, having a certain preventive and therapeutic effect on high blood pressure and high blood lipids. Agar weed is rich in dietary fiber.
Agar weed, also called cow hair vegetable, sand root, frozen vegetable, sea jelly vegetable, big root, seaweed, chicken feather vegetable, grass coral and so on. This vegetable belongs to the phylum Rhodophyta, family Gelidiaceae, and can be used as pickles, mixed dishes and so on, and can also be boiled into a gelatinous form and mixed with fruit juice to make jelly. Every 100 grams of dried agar weed contains 5.4 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of fat, 72.9 grams of carbohydrates, 0.06 milligrams of thiamine, 0.2 milligrams of riboflavin, 3.3 milligrams of nicotinic acid, 14.84 milligrams of vitamin E, 167 milligrams of calcium, 15 milligrams of magnesium, 2 milligrams of iron, 1.94 milligrams of zinc, 15.19 milligrams of selenium, and also contains algal gum, ergosterol and so on. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that agar weed is sweet and salty in taste and cold and slippery in nature, has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, and can be used to treat enteritis, swelling and pain around the anus, pyelonephritis and so on. Folk medicine uses agar weed to treat silicosis, ringworm of the body, goiter and other conditions.
1. Agar weed is rich in minerals and a variety of vitamins. In particular, the alginate substances it contains have a blood pressure-lowering effect, and the starch sulfate esters it contains are polysaccharide substances with a lipid-lowering function, having a certain preventive and therapeutic effect on high blood pressure and high blood lipids
2. Regularly eating some “agar” products allows it to absorb water in the intestines, causing the intestinal contents to expand, increasing stool volume, stimulating the intestinal wall and inducing the urge to defecate;
3. Agar weed also has functions such as preventing heatstroke, detoxifying and clearing heat.
How to eat agar weed
Agar weed is mainly made into jelly noodles or eaten as a cold mixed dish. Below, we teach everyone to make some simple agar weed dishes.
1. Cucumber and agar weed jelly noodles
Ingredients: 300 g agar weed jelly noodles, an appropriate amount of cucumber, an appropriate amount of cilantro, an appropriate amount of ginger, an appropriate amount of garlic.
Method: Mince 1 slice of ginger and 2 cloves of garlic, add all the seasonings and mix into a sauce for later use. Cut the cucumber into shreds and spread them on the bottom of the plate. Cut the agar weed jelly noodles into thin strips and spread them on top of the cucumber shreds. Finally sprinkle on chopped cilantro, drizzle with the sauce and mix well.
Note: Agar weed is a relatively cold and cooling algae food, so adding a little minced ginger when making a cold mixed dish can alleviate its cold nature.
2. Celery mixed with agar weed
Ingredients: main ingredient an appropriate amount of agar weed, auxiliary ingredient a little celery.
Seasonings: a little salt, 1 large spoon of vinegar, an appropriate amount of chicken essence, an appropriate amount of ginger, an appropriate amount of garlic, 1 large spoon of light soy sauce, a little sesame oil.
Method: First soak the agar weed in warm water at about 40 degrees for 2 hours, wash it and drain it, then put it into a large bowl. Boil water, blanch the celery, drain the water, and put it into the bowl with the agar weed. Prepare minced garlic, minced ginger, one large spoon of vinegar, one large spoon of light soy sauce, salt, chicken essence and sesame oil and mix into a seasoning sauce. Finally pour the sauce into the agar weed and celery and mix evenly.
How to prepare agar weed
Agar weed is generally prepared as a cold mixed dish, because it will melt if cooked for a long time. Below, we introduce cold mixed agar weed.
Cold mixed agar weed
Ingredients: main ingredient an appropriate amount of agar weed, auxiliary ingredient a little celery.
Seasonings: a little salt, 1 large spoon of vinegar, an appropriate amount of chicken essence, an appropriate amount of ginger, an appropriate amount of garlic, 1 large spoon of light soy sauce, a little sesame oil.
Method: First soak the agar weed in warm water at about 40 degrees for 2 hours, wash it and drain it, then put it into a large bowl. Boil water, blanch the celery, drain the water, and put it into the bowl with the agar weed. Prepare minced garlic, minced ginger, one large spoon of vinegar, one large spoon of light soy sauce, salt, chicken essence and sesame oil and mix into a seasoning sauce. Finally pour the sauce into the agar weed and celery and mix evenly.
Who should not eat agar weed
Pregnant women should eat less, and those with spleen and kidney deficiency and cold, or with insecure large intestine, are not suitable.
How to soak dried agar weed
Agar weed is bought as a dried product and needs to be soaked to rehydrate.
When soaking agar weed, first heat the dried agar weed in a cold water pot and add a small amount of alkali (for making jelly noodles, a little vinegar should be added instead), then bring to a boil over high heat, and remove it immediately after the water boils. Note that it must not be cooked for a long time, otherwise the agar weed will dissolve and fall apart. Immediately rinse with cold water, wash it, and then soak it in warm water for several hours.
For use in cold mixed dishes, after cleaning it is best to soak it open with warm water at about 40°C, then soak it in cold water to make it crisp, otherwise it will become soft.
If making jelly noodles, add about 40 times the amount of clean water, also add a little white vinegar and simmer over low heat; a pressure cooker can also be used, cooking until soft and broken down. Filter while hot, cool to room temperature and let it set into a block.