Processed seaweed, grayish white in color and comes in sticks, flakes, granules or powder. It is a vegetarian gelatin. After it is soaked in cold water, it becomes bouncy, resilient, and crisp . It is used mostly for cold oriental dishes that contain chicken, meat, and vegetables. In the old days, before the introduction of gelatin, agar-agar was also used as a thickening agent in making cold jellied dishes. Once soaked in boiling water, it melts into a gelatinous substance. The Chinese use this paste to make their famous delicacy called “bird’s nest soup.” Agar-agar is commonly referred to as Chinese gelatin.