Vietnam Seaweed Agar-Agar Powder

Agar agar is a polysaccharide extracted from seaweeds, as one of the most highly versatile algae gums in world, it is widely used in food, pharmaceutical, daily chemical industries and bioengineering, etc.

- Gel Strength: 700g/cm2-1300g/cm2

- Appearance: White to lighe yellow

- Loss weight after drying: ≤15.0%(strips≤22.0%)

- Dregs after burning: ≤5.0%

- Water insoluble matter: ≤1.0%

- Water absorbality: ≤75ml

- Starch Assay: No blue color appeared

- Heavy Metal: ≤0.004%

- Arsenic: ≤0.0001%

- Mesh: 80-100

- Total ash ≤5%

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What is agar?

Agar (or Agar Agar), sometimes referred to as kanten, is a gelling agent coming from a South East Asian seaweed. It is used for scientific purposes (in biology for instance), as a filler in paper sizing fabric and as a clarifying agent in brewing. Agar can also be used as a laxative (it’s 80-percent fiber) and as an appetite suppressant.

And it’s of course an amazing culinary ingredient. It’s a vegetarian gelatin substitute, a thickener for soups, in fruits preserves, ice cream and others desserts.

Where can you find agar?

Agar is available in health food stores, in supermarket that carry health food lines, in Asian grocery stores and online.

Health Benefits

Agar has no calories, no carbs, no sugar, not fat and is loaded with fiber. It’s free from starch, soy, corn, gluten, yeast, wheat, milk, egg and preservatives.

It absorbs glucose in the stomach, passes through digestive system quickly and inhibits the body from retaining and storing excess fat. Its water absorbing properties also aids in waste elimination. Agar absorbs bile, and by doing so, causes the body to dissolve more cholesterol.

A great substitute to gelatin

Agar is the perfect substitute to traditional gelatin. It’s made from a plant source rather than from an animal one. That makes it suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets, and other diet restrictions.

Agar has no taste, no odor and no color, which makes it pretty convenient to use. It sets more firmly than gelatin, and stays firm even when the temperature heats up.

Though agar is a great substitute to gelatin, don’t expect the same results when replacing gelatin with agar in a recipe. First, it doesn’t give the same texture. Gelatin can give a «creamy» texture whereas agar gives a firmer texture. And agar is much more powerful than gelatin : 1 teaspoon agar powder is equivalent to 8 teaspoon gelatin powder.

How to use Agar

– The most important thing to know is that agar needs to be first dissolved in water (or another liquid like milk, fruit juices, tea, stock…) and then brought to a boil. It will set as the ingredients cool down. You can not add agar flakes or powder as it is in your food.

– You should definitively follow the package directions and the recipe to determine which quantity to use. But here is a basic rule you can adapt : use 1 tablespoon agar flakes to thicken 1 cup of liquid, and 1 teaspoon agar powder to thicken 1 cup of liquid.

Here is the basic «recipe» to use if you can’t boil your liquid directly.

1. Dissolve 1 tbsp agar flakes or 1 tsp agar powder in 4 tbsp hot water

2. Bring water to a boil

3. Simmer for 1 to 5 minutes for powder and 10 to 15 minutes for flakes

4. Mix well with warmed ingredients

5. Let it cool to set agar.

Vietnam Seaweed ULVA LACTUCA/GREEN SEAWEED

ULVA LACTUCA / GREEN SEAWEED (RAW)

  

Moisture: 15% max

Impurities: 3% max

Packing:  30/ 50 kgs/ PP bag, or as customer requirements

Drying process: Cleaned by freshwater and dried by sunshine

Crop: Latest 

Origin: Viet Nam 

ULVA LACTUCA / GREEN SEAWEED (POWDER)

  

Moisture: 15% max

Impurities: 3% max

Packing:  30/ 50 kgs/ PP bag, or as customer requirements

Drying process: Cleaned by freshwater and dried by sunshine

Crop: Latest Origin: Viet Nam

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Ulva lactuca is commonly called sea lettuce.  Its color can range from light yellowish green to darker green, but is most commonly a vivid green underwater.  When exposed at low tide or when washed up on a beach, it is typically darker green.  Out of the water the seaweed looks like a rather slimy lime-green mass but in the water the alga actually does look very much like young lettuce leaves. Ulva lactuca is vivid green and cellophane thin (only two cell layers thick), and forms light yellowish green to dark green translucent sheets.  The soft frond grows as a single, irregular, but somewhat round shaped blade with slightly ruffled edges which are often torn.  There can be numerous small holes or perforations scattered throughout.  The frond is connected to rocks with a small, almost invisible discoid holdfast, and does not have a stipe.  Ulva lactuca may grow to a diameter of 20 to 30 centimeters, although it is freqently much smaller, with larger sheets feeling slightly thicker than smaller specimens.

Ulva lactuca can be found in an array of habitats, but is seen more abundantly in sheltered bays or in protected and semi-protected areas with limited wave action.  It is found in tide pools, rock pools, cobble, boulders, and bedrock in mid- to lower levels of the intertidal zone, and also grows in the sublittoral to a depth of over 20 meters.  In very sheltered conditions, plants that have become detached from the substrate can continue to grow, forming extensive floating mats or rafts.  Ulva lactuca tolerates brackish conditions and can be found on suitable substrata in estuaries.  It is present year round, but most abundant in summer and fall.

Ulva lactuca grows well in areas polluted with sewage, as it is a nutrient scavenger, and is also an opportunistic species that can form massive blooms when conditions are right.  Certain environmental conditions can lead to the algae spreading over large areas.  Non-point source pollution including nutrient runoff from agricultural lands and over-fertilized urban and rural sites are thought to be a contributing factor in sea lettuce blooms.  The result is that large quantities of Ulva lactuca are washed up on beaches, where their decay produces methane, hydrogen sulphide, and other gases.  As the bloom spreads and begins to die, it can deplete an area (and all of the bottom dwelling plants and animals that live there) of oxygen, and cause massive die-offs of fish and invertebrates.

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Names 

alface do mar, an glasán, aosa, 石蓴, chicory sea lettuce, green laver, insalata di mare, kwanpo, laitue de mer, lattuga marina, lechuga de mar, lechuga de samba, luche verde, Meersalat, sea lettuce, shih shun, zeesla

Phylum Classification 

Chlorophyta

Geographic Distribution 

Ulva lactuca is ubiquitous, common to most shorelines around the world.

Uses 

Ulva lactuca is available in different forms from companies in countries which include the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Vietnam, China, Canada, and the United States.  It is sold both in fresh and dried form, in flakes, powders, and salad mixes.  It is a delicate seaweed with a mild flavor.  Ulva lactuca is sometimes eaten as "green laver", but it is considered inferior to purple laver.  It is used as a seasoning by itself and in blends, and can be found in soups and salads.  It is a key ingredient in many cosmetic and personal care items such as soap, lotion, toner, lifting cream, eye cream, lip cream, makeup remover, body polish, bath soaks, anti-aging products, shaving lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and serums.  It is also a component in gardening and fertilizer products.  Leading cosmetic brands which use Ulva lactuca as an ingredient in anti-aging products cite that it contains a high concentration of amino acids (proline, glycine, lysine) which are the basic components of proteins, and that it has an ability to stimulate the cells in the connective tissues to synthesize collagen.  This in turn can improve the skin’s elasticity and reduces lines and wrinkles.

Harvesting 

Ulva lactuca can be picked from spring into the summer depending upon weather and amount of sun.  Harsh weather can batter it, leaving it too tattered for picking.

Harvesting Techniques 

Ulva lactuca often does not grow in large patches, so harvesting can be a labor intensive effort which only yields small amounts.  Scissors or a small knife can be used to carefully cut the blade from the holdfast.  If the holdfast is accidentally pulled off from the substrate, the holdfast can be cut from the frond before processing.  It should be quickly rinsed in seawater to remove any small animals.

Ecosystem 

Ulva lactuca is consumed by many invertebrates both when submerged and when exposed.

Vietnam seaweed SARGASSUM

Sargassum Seaweed (RAW)

  

Small leaf and big leaf

Moisture: 13% max

Impurities: 3% max

Packing: In bale of 50 kgs/ PP bag, or as customer requirements

Drying process: Cleaned by freshwater and dried by sunshine

Crop: Latest

Origin: Viet Nam

Sargassum Seaweed (Powder)

  

Color: Brown 

Moisture: 10% max

Impurities: 3% max

Protein: 10% min

Packing: In bale of 25/50 kgs PP&PE bag, or as customer requirements

Crop: Latest

Origin: Viet Nam

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Sargassum filipendula is a leafy, disheveled-looking brown algae. The rather small discoid holdfast gives rise to a single axial stipe. Numerous lateral branches of various lengths with variable branching patterns whorl around the stipe, giving it a bushy, more or less cylindrical overall shape. Sargassum filipendula has larger floats than many Sargassum species, such as Sargassum muticum.  The pale yellow, ovate balls are obvious on the plant, growing close to the main axis and being more numerous towards the top. These keep the plants floating upright, maximizing photosynthetic potential.  Similar to its sister species, Sargassum muticum, Sargassum filipendula is usually found growing in the shallow subtidal attached to rocks or shells, but also down to depths of 25 to 30 meters.  However, Sargassum filipendula has small dark spots on its blades and has longer blades than Sargassum muticum.  Often times rough weather will overcome the rather weak holdfasts of Sargassum filipendula which will then take up a pelagic, free-floating lifestyle, often carried away from normal habitats of shallow coastal areas and reefs to open sea. It is because of these floating masses of uprooted Sargassum that the Atlantic Ocean's 'Sargasso Sea' got its name.

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Names 

gulf weed, gulfweed, sargassum grass, sargazo llorón, tuna weed

Phylum Classification 

Ochrophyta

Geographic Distribution 

Sargassum filipendula is found abundantly along the Atlantic coast of the Americas from Massachusetts through the Caribbean and down to Panama and Brazil. Sargassum filipendula is also found around southern Asia, particularly near Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Uses 

Sargassum filipendula is used in traditional cuisines of much of South America and Asia. The nutrient-rich extracts of Sargassum filipendula are also used in cosmetic products from lotions to face masks.

Harvesting 

Sargassum filipendula is harvested from New England to North Carolina along the Atlantic coast of the United States.

Harvesting Techniques 

There is harvesting of Sargassum filipendula by trawling is done in some areas.

Ecosystem 

As a constituent of near-shore benthic communities, Sargassum filipendula is a favorite food of many herbivores and its stands of bushy fronds provide an sheltered environment similar to a kelp forest, on a much smaller scale. Later, as one of the many species ofSargassum that make their way to the Sargasso Sea, Sargassum filipendula adds to the protective surface seaweed layer that provides refuge to many species. The European and American eels are both thought to return to this area to lay their eggs, allowing the larval eels to develop in a sheltered area before making their way to Europe or the East Coast of North America. The loggerhead Sea Turtle is also thought to use Sargassum filipendula cover to protect them from predation as young hatchlings.

Vietnam seaweed SEA GRAPES (Caulerpa lentillifera)

Fresh buds, regular seeds

Natural green color 

Sea grape is used for prevention,beautify,... 

Origin: Viet Nam 

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Caulerpa lentillifera resembles bunches of little shiny grapes. The color of this seaweed ranges from bright green to bluish and at times olive green.  The plants are small and branches are erect.  The grape-like tiny spherical beads are tightly packed together on vertical stems to form a sausage like shape, which arise from long horizontal stems that creep over the ocean floor like strawberry runners.  These are able to grow quite long and produce many plants. The distinctive characteristic of Caulerpa lentillifera when compared to other Caulerpa species is that the stalk and globose tip (grape) are both constricted where they meet.  Caulerpa lentillifera grows quite well in a variety of environments, usually on substrate composed of coral rubble or rocks to over 50 meters deep, but also common in shallow, muddy lagoons.  It is generally found on sandy to mussy substrates on reef flats that are not exposed during low tides and where the water is generally calm.  It may form extensive beds or meadows in exceptionally good habitats.  Caulerpa lentillifera is stenohaline and cannot thrive in areas where salinity is less than 25%.  Salinities lower than 30% would already result in crop loss.  Growth of natural stocks in habitats where water becomes brackish during the rainy season, or those cultured in ponds, is highly seasonal. Caulerpa lentillifera cannot survive in fresh water.

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Names 

ararosip, ararusip, arurusip, green caviar, Kumejima Umibudô, lato, lelato, raisins de la mer, sea grapes, umi-budō, umibudou, 海ぶどう

Phylum Classification 

Chlorophyta

Geographic Distribution 

Caulerpa lentillifera is native to tropical areas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, though it is found as an invasive species in other parts of the pacific such as the California coast and Hawaii.  Caulerpa lentillifera is mainly available in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and Papua New Guinea. It is also distributed along the east coast of Africa (South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya, Mauritius, Somalia).

Uses 

Caulerpa lentillifera is high in minerals, vitamin A, C, and several essential unsaturated fatty acids.  It is also reported to have antibacterial and antifungal properties, and to be used to treat high blood pressure and rheumatism.  There are many species of the genus Caulerpa, but Caulerpa lentilliferaand Caulerpa racemosa are the two most popular edible ones.  Both have a grape-like appearance and are used in fresh salads and as vegetables.  Caulerpa lentillifera is one of the most popular edible species of Caulerpa because of its soft and succulent texture.  In the Philippines, the seaweed is eaten fresh as a salad, or salted so it can be eaten later.  It is exported to Japan from the Philippines and Vietnam. It is also eaten in Malaysia and Indonesia.  Caulerpa lentillifera tastes like sea water; it somewhat tastes like other algae, it is slightly salty, and is said to taste refreshing.  It has created waves in the international food market because of its high nutritional value. Caulerpa lentillifera is a popular form of delicacy in Japan and Philippines, and is said by some to be an upcoming popular product in the seafood industry.  This species is also used as food for livestock and aquaculture fish.

Harvesting 

Caulerpa lentillifera is farmed commercially in the Philippines, Japan, and Vietnam.

Harvesting Techniques 

Caulerpa lentillifera is both wild harvested and cultivated. Of the Caulerpa types, Caulerpa lentillifera is the species best adapted to pond culture, although some strains of Caulerpa racemosa also give good yields. Caulerpa lentillifera is sensitive to changes of salinity, so pond areas must be placed away from any freshwater sources, and in the wet season in the Philippines surface drains are placed around the ponds to remove freshwater. The seaweed can tolerate a salinity range of 30-35 parts per thousand. Successful cultivation depends on good water management and the ponds must be designed so that tidal flows can be used to change the water in the ponds every second day. Water temperature can range between 25° and 30°C.

Planting is done by hand, and are pushed into the soft bottom of muddy aquaculture ponds in mangrove areas at 0.5 to 1 meter intervals. Sometimes broadcasting is used (tossing small plants into the aquaculture pond by hand) but this is not as efficient, the plants are loose on the bottom and can be moved by water motion induced by wind action on the surface.  Pond depth should be about 0.5 meters, and areas of about 0.5 hectares are usual.  Key factors controlled during growth are water exchange, weeding of other species of seaweed that would otherwise compete with the Caulerpa lentillifera, and fertilization.  Harvesting can commence about two months after the first planting; the seaweed is pulled out of the muddy bottom, but some of the plants are left as seed for the next harvest.  Depending on growth rates, harvesting can then be done every two weeks.  The harvested plants are washed thoroughly in seawater to remove all sand and mud, then inspected, sorted.

In Vietnam, one grower uses a different method. The Caulerpa lentillifera stock is planted in plastic trays rather than commonly cultivated in ponds or open lagoons or in cages since these two methods are not as practical in Vietnam due to higher required investment and lower productivity. A net is used as a portable roof to adjust the sunlight and temperature of the seawater. The seaweed can absorb the nutrition in the trays without being mixed with impurities. This method meets the need of Caulerpa lentillifera to be far from pollution sources.

Ecosystem 

Caulerpa lentillifera grows extremely quickly, and has become an invasive species in the Mediterranean.

Vietnam seaweed GRACILARIA

Moisture: 12% max Impurities: 3% max

Protein: 8% min

Packing: 25/ 50 kgs/ PP&PE bag, or as customer requirements

Crop: Latest

Origin: Viet Nam

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Gracilaria chilensis (named for its importance and prevalence in Chile) is a very economically and ecologically important red macroalga with varying morphology. The cylindrical, filamentous thalli are about 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, usually purple-red, occasionally yellow-brown, and can grow quite long, up to 5 meters in length.  Identification of the specific species is difficult in the field however because of a lack of unique diagnostic characteristics and the variability of species morphology.  Depending of growing conditions (light availability, depth, water movement, nutrient levels), Gracilaria chilensis can take on a broad variety of overall shapes from short, bushy, and densely branched to long and sparsely branched.  Gracilaria chilensis is naturally found in the intertidal or subtidal zone (up to 10 meter depth), where it can grow in sheltered harbors, bays, or estuaries on sand, mud, or rocky substrates.

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Names 

pelillo

Phylum Classification 

Rhodophyta

Geographic Distribution 

Gracilaria chilensis is abundant in South America (Chile) as well as Africa, China, and the Indo-Pacific.

Uses 

Gracilaria chilensis is one of the most economically important species in the agar industry, but is also enjoyed as a food source by humans and is often seen in Japanese, Hawaiian, and Filipino cuisine.

Harvesting 

Gracilaria chilensis is cultivated in South America (Chile) and elsewhere for the agar industry and is beginning to be incorporated into aquaculture industry in association with shrimp and fish farms especially in the Indo-Pacific.  Gracilaria chilensis is the primary seaweed species cultivated in Chile (as opposed to wild harvesting or beach collection), contributing significantly to the Chilean economy.

Harvesting Techniques 

Both subtidal and intertidal cultivation techniques are used with Gracilaria chilensis.  Regardless of the planting method, production relies upon the capacity of Gracilaria chilensis to develop an underground thallus system that anchors the algae to the soft bottom.  Some areas are able to achieve production capacity of 150 metric tons per hectare each year.  Severe drops in productivity can occur if the same area is used for several consecutive years.  Research and demonstration projects are also in progress where Gracilaria chilensis is an element of Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA), helping to neutralize fish wastes and still serve as a revenue-generating crop.

Ecosystem 

While fish farms provide employment and food for many in coastal regions, one of the major issues associated with these aquaculture facilities is that they produce large amounts of wastes, including dissolved inorganic phosphorus and nitrogen. These nutrients can be toxic in large amounts, creating "dead zones" around fish farms where no other organisms can exist. To reduce this problem and take advantage of the free nutrients, farmers have begun integrating algae such as Gracilaria chilensis into their fish cages. Not only does this growing algae provide a food source for the fish, but it effectively soaks up excess nutrients to protect the environment.  This approach is known as Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA). When the algae has grown substantially it is able to be harvested for food or agar. Interestingly, it has been found that algae grown in these conditions not only grows faster but produces a better quality agar than algae grown in pure seawater.