Definition

Noun: 1. Agar, agar-agar: A gelatinous substance obtained from certain red algae (seaweed), used primarily in cooking as a vegetarian gelling agent, in desserts, and in scientific laboratories as a culture medium. 2. (Archaic) A unit of volume: An ancient Chinese unit of liquid measurement, approximately equal to 10 liters.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Agar):

  • Món sương sáo được làm từ thạch đen. (Grass jelly is made from black agar.)
  • Cô ấy làm món trái cây dầm đông lại bằng thạch. (She made a fruit cocktail set with agar.)
  • Thạch là một thành phần quan trọng trong phòng thí nghiệm vi sinh. (Agar is an important component in microbiology laboratories.)

• Noun (Archaic unit):

  • "Thạch" là một đơn vị đo lường cổ của Trung Quốc. ("Thạch" is an ancient Chinese unit of measurement.)

Advanced Usage

• "rau câu": This is the common Vietnamese name for the seaweed (Gracilaria or Gelidium) from which (agar) is derived. The terms are often used interchangeably in a culinary context.
  • Bà đi chợ mua rau câu về nấu thạch. (Grandma went to the market to buy seaweed to make agar jelly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thạch (dùng trong địa chất): This is a homonym. It means "rock" or "stone" (e.g., - quartz, - gypsum). The two words are identical in spelling and pronunciation but have completely different meanings and origins.
• Thạch rau câu: A more descriptive term for agar-agar.
• Thạch trái cây: Fruit jelly (specifying the type of jelly).
• Sương sa: A specific type of jelly dessert, often made with agar.

Synonyms

• Agar-agar: The more complete international term.
• Bột rau câu: Agar powder (the common commercial form).
• Chất tạo đông thực vật: Plant-based gelling agent (descriptive term).

Related Phrases

• Làm đông bằng thạch: To set/gel using agar.
• Nấu thạch: To cook/prepare agar jelly.
• Khuôn thạch: Jelly mold.

Related Idioms

• Cứng như thạch: (Simile) As hard as stone.
  • Bánh mì này cứng như thạch. (This bread is as hard as stone.)

noun

1. agar, Chinese gelatin (isinglass, Japanese gelatin) isinglass