Do you know the meaning of the word hysteresis? 

Hysteresis refers to the difference between the gelation temperature and melting temperature in a gel, an intriguing property that is an exceptionally wide difference in agar, surpassing all other hydrocolloids. When dissolved in water at a concentration of 1-1.5%, agar forms a gel at a temperature between 34-38°C, remaining stable until 85-90°C before melting.

This interesting property of agar allows solutions to solidify at room temperature without the need for refrigeration, facilitating its use in culinary recipes; likewise, it helps maintain a stable gel in warm conditions. Thanks to this property, it is possible to maintain agar in a liquid or gelled state between 35-85°C, depending on the culinary process requirements.

This versatility makes agar a valuable ally in the kitchen, particularly when creating coatings and glazings, by enabling gel formation without the need for refrigeration, unlike conventional gelatin that requires temperatures below 15°C to gel, thus demanding refrigeration at all times.

The fascinating property of agar hysteresis promises to revolutionize culinary applications by providing new possibilities for manipulating and preserving the structure of foods over a wide range of temperatures.