Neon Agar-Agar Noodles (Printable Version)

Colorful agar-agar noodles chilled and paired with a flavorful soy dipping sauce for a playful dish.

# Components:

→ Neon Agar-Agar Noodles

01 - 2 1/8 cups water
02 - 0.25 ounces agar-agar powder
03 - 1 tablespoon sugar
04 - Food-safe neon gel or liquid coloring, assorted

→ Dipping Sauce

05 - 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free option
06 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
07 - 1 tablespoon mirin
08 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
09 - 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
10 - 1 teaspoon sugar
11 - 1 scallion, thinly sliced
12 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

→ Garnish

13 - Microgreens or edible flowers (optional)

# Directions:

01 - In a saucepan over medium heat, combine water, agar-agar powder, and sugar. Stir continuously and bring to a boil until agar-agar is fully dissolved, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
02 - Remove from heat and divide the hot liquid evenly into separate bowls according to the number of colors desired. Add a few drops of neon food coloring to each bowl and mix thoroughly.
03 - Using a syringe or squeeze bottle, pipe the colored agar mixtures into a bowl filled with ice water to shape into noodle-like strands. Allow to set for 1 to 2 minutes until firm. Alternatively, pour mixture into a flat tray, let it solidify, then cut into thin noodle strips with a sharp knife.
04 - Collect the noodles gently and rinse briefly under cold water. Drain well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
05 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce (or tamari), rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, grated ginger, and sugar until fully incorporated. Stir in scallions and sesame seeds, if using.
06 - Arrange chilled neon agar noodles into small bundles on serving dishes. Garnish with microgreens or edible flowers if desired. Present alongside the dipping sauce for dipping.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The bouncy, almost playful texture makes people stop mid-conversation and ask what they're actually eating.
  • It's naturally vegan and gluten-free, which means you're not sacrificing flavor or fun for anyone's dietary needs.
  • You get to be a kitchen artist without needing any actual artistic talent, just a syringe and some food coloring.
02 -
  • Agar-agar sets even faster than you expect, so have your ice water ready before you start piping or you'll end up with solidified sauce in your syringe instead of noodles.
  • Don't let the agar mixture cool too much before coloring or pouring; it'll start to gel up and become impossible to work with, so stay near the stove and work quickly once you remove it from heat.
  • The sauce tastes infinitely better when the ginger is freshly grated and the scallions are added just before serving, so don't prep those too far ahead.
03 -
  • Keep your ice water extremely cold and refresh it halfway through if you're making a large batch, because warm water will start to melt your noodles before they fully set.
  • If your syringe gets clogged or the agar starts to gel inside, dip the whole thing in hot water for a few seconds to warm it back up and keep working.
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