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Gelatin is one of the 37 things to avoid as a vegan. Why?
Well, prepare yourself for this next horrifying part.
It contains crushed animal body parts.
Gross, right?
Automatically, this fact cancels gelatin from being a vegan food item. However, there’s an alternative you should consider, which is agar powder.
What is agar powder?
Agar, also known as agar-agar or Kanten, is the ultimate gelatin substitute. It comes from a type of seaweed, the red sea algae, and you can use it to condense soups, or make ice cream, jams and jellies.
The best part is that it contains no trace of animal entrails, skin or even bones. Also, it has no calories, sugar, carbs, fat, soy and gluten, or even any of the following:
- Yeast & wheat.
- Starch.
- Milk & egg.
- Preservatives.
What aisle is agar powder in?
If you’re looking for where to find agar powder in grocery store, you can check these promising aisles:
- Natural food aisle
- Health food aisle
- Baking aisle
- Asian food section of the Ethnic/ International aisle
- Supplement aisle
- Bulk aisle
Since agar powder comes out of red sea algae and has no beef or animal traces, you can find it first in the Natural food aisle or the Health food aisle.
Next, check the Baking aisle as the powder provides a gluten-free solution for icings, glazes, and low calorie pastries.
Star Chef, David Chang, explains why we need to get rid of the “Ethnic” aisle at the Grocery store. But in this case, we don’t think so. You’ll need to browse the Asian food section of the International aisle to find agar powder.
If you have no luck there, then check the Supplement aisle. You’ll find all kinds of grocery items rich in amino acids, antioxidants, multi-vitamins and digestives.
As a last resort, visit the Bulk aisle. Now, you know where to find agar powder in grocery store.
Where do I find agar agar?
Amazon
Agar powder can be expensive. But on Amazon, you’ll find the brand that fits your budget. It has the Now Food’s Agar Pure Powder and the Nutrient Agar Powder brand, as well as many others to select from. You can order them online with delivery option to your doorstep.
- PURE POWDER: Agar is a naturally gelatinous powder derived from marine red algae.
- VEGETARIAN SUBSTITUTE FOR GELATIN: It's the perfect vegetarian substitute for beef gelatin in any food application and makes an excellent thickener for soups, jellies, ice cream and more.
- GLUTEN FREE: Agar can be used as a vegan substitute for gelatin's functional properties.
- Gluten Free;Kosher (Triangle K);Non-GMO
- Packaged in the USA by a family owned and operated company since 1968.
- Colorless, odorless, and tasteless versatile thickener (Gel Strength: 700g/cm2)
- Great for making vegan cheese and vegan desserts, such as gummy bears, marshmallows, pudding, custard, panna cotta, ice cream, and more
- Useful for making sugar-free jam, jellies, and keto desserts, as well as for starch-free soup and gravy
- Suitable for vegan, vegetarian, keto, plant-based, halal, and kosher diets
- Certified vegan, non-GMO, halal, and kosher
Walmart
Walmart is another great store to buy grocery items from. There you’ll find the 4 ounce Agar Agar powder with average gel strength, along with this other Agar Agar Cheese Powder from American Heritage. Additionally, you can buy them online, or from any Walmart outlet near you.
Asian supermarkets
Stores like Yin Yam sell varieties of Asian produce, including this Golden Trophy Agar Agar Powder brand. Ethnic Supermarket also has the Agar Agar Powder, which you can purchase online.
Whole Foods
Whole Foods has an International aisle where you can find agar powder. But if you prefer, you can comfortably order it online. Currently, the online store is out of agar powder, but they have the Eden Foods Agar Agar Sea Vegetable Flakes. Although if you can’t wait for them to restock, you can buy this Agar Agar powder brand, made by Buy Whole Foods, from Amazon.
Kroger
Kroger has a very small range of agar powder brands. So for now, it only has the NOW Real Food Agar Powder brand. Although if you want to broaden your options a bit, you can also order for the Eden Agar Agar Sea Vegetable Flakes.
How long is agar agar good for?
Agar powder has a long shelf life. So at most, you should expect it to last for about eight months, if you store it properly.
“Properly”, in this sense, would mean keeping it in airtight containers to prevent moisture or liquid from spoiling it.
After then, you can store it in cool, dry places. If you have a pantry, you’ll want to consider stashing it there.
Should it ever go bad, you’ll know for sure. Agar powder has an odd taste when it spoils, different from when you first bought it.
Now you know where to find agar powder in grocery store. Do you also want to find other powdery goodies for your cooking? Then check these out:
- Where to Find Espresso Powder in the Grocery store?
- How & here to find nutritional yeast in the grocery store
- Where to Find Breadcrumbs in The Grocery Store?
Irene is a Freelance content writer who helps professionals and startups build an audience with original content online. She has written over +100 articles, and is backed up by 3 years experience. She loves gaming and listening to music, while she’s not tapping furiously on her laptop.