Making my own Agar-agar

It was started when my aunts talked about seaweed on the beach at our hometown. It’s the time to collect it. They said “It’s low tide now”. One of my aunts prepared another type of seaweed as vegetables that day..and I liked the taste so much. Then the next day I helped my sister to dry out another type of seaweed. This seaweed is used for making Agar-agar.

Because our village is just next to the beach, sometimes when it’s low tide…the rocks on the seashore can be seen with seaweeds that are ready to be harvested on it.

The ocean offers us fresh foods. Sweet isn’t it? 🙂

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The seaweeds are collected by the villagers just for themselves. Some will sell it if they have more. My mom asked to buy it from our neighbor that day but then the answer was “I have enough at home..but I don’t sell it to you or anyone else. I will give it for you for free”.

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This time I wanted to make Agar-agar by my own. From the scratch. I mean from collecting the seaweeds on the beach…and not by using Agar-agar powder from the shop.

Then, the next week after that, on the full moon day, I went to the beach and collected the seaweed. I forgot to bring scissor that time, and collecting it only using my hand 😀

Well, my dad also helped me out..since I went to the beach a little late and the wave was quite big and approaching the rocks where the seaweeds were. He had kind of fear of loosing me..he he..

At home, I cleaned the seaweed and soaked it in the water, and then dried it out..and again soaked it and dried it and soaked it and dried it for few days until the color is gone.

such a work with lots of patient, really..

And finally it is then ready to be used for Agar-agar, or Jello or in Balinese it is called “Bulung”.

To make Agar-agar, I soaked the dried seaweed overnight and then I boiled it and added a pinch of salt for the taste and homemade palm sugar in it.

As soon as everything is completely dissolved, the liquid is poured into banana leaves that are formed like cones

and I also prepared it in more “modern” look like this

I really really like the taste of this traditional and bio agar-agar. It’s yum yum.. (^_^)

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By doing things like this, I learn more about patient, hard work…and I believe it teaches me how to appreciate the work of others…even when the work looks so small and easy.

So much in love with Jaje Bulung..