Q&A

Q. What is kanten made from?
A. It is the freeze-dried and dehydrated form of congealed Tengusa, a type of red algae (red seaweed) scientifically classified as Gelidium. 

 

Q. How much dietary fiber does kanten contain?
A. Kanten consists of macromolecular carbohydrates, and believe it or not, 80% is dietary fiber (80.9g out of 100g)! The dietary fiber itself contains zero calories, therefore kanten contains practically no calories at all.

Q. What is the difference between kanten and gelatine?
A. Kanten is a 100% plant-based product.  
Gelatine, on the other hand, is an animal-based product. 
Gelatine is made by prolonged boiling of skin, cartilage, and bones from animals (generally beef and pork). 

 

Q. Is it true that kanten is good for preventing and relieving constipation?
A. Yes, it's true!!
Kanten contains 80% of dietary fiber !! The fiber helps intestinal functions. (The rest consists of moisture and a little bit of minerals.)

Q. Is it safe to eat kanten powder or drink kanten before coagulated ?
A. It's edible. However, we strongly recommend to eat by making kanten jelly.
It is not dangerous to drink before it coagulates, but for effective way to relieve constipation, the best way is to eat kanten when it's jellified (coagulated).
By coagulating kanten, it increases its content by 100 times through absorbing water into its web of dietary fibers.
You can consume water (which is always good) at the same time as consuming nutritional dietary fibers.
Coagulated kanten is not digested or absorbed by the stomach, it passes directly to the large intestine.  Kanten jelly, holding high amounts of water, supports the growth of beneficial (good) bacetrium in the stomach linings, and normalizes bowel movements, preventing constipation.
That's why kanten jelly should be used as a part of your daily diet!

Q. How long can I store kanten ?
A. Kanten can be stored at room temperature in a dry place for a few years. It is best to follow the expiration date of your product. When it comes to cooked Kanten, please eat within 3 days.

Q. Are kanten and agar (agar-agar) the same?
A. Both agar and kanten are derived from seaweed, and neither, unlike gelatin, will dissolve at room temperature.
The main difference between the two is the texture. Agar-based jelly generally has a wobbly, soft, gelatin-like texture.
Pure kanten, on the other hand, only contains a gelling agent derived from tengusa, a specific type of red seaweed. (Less expensive kanten does use other red seaweed such as ogonori, which you may recognize as a garnish for sashimi.)  Kanten jelly also has a firm, rather delicate texture that is less like gelatin.
Kanten is typically the term used only for kanten, while agar is more often used for both products.

Q. How do you cook kanten?
A. Kanten starts to melt at 85-95 ºC (185-203 ºF) and sets at 30-40 ºC (86-104 ºF), so it can still set on a hot summer day out on the counter.​

Q. Is kanten suitable for young children?
A. Children can begin eating kanten from when they are around a year old.
It might be better to add a little more boiled water at first for a softer texture.​