Xylitol

Agar (E406) is the hydrophilic colloidal substance extracted from Agarophyte Gelidium, Gracilaria, and related red algae. It can be used as a laxative, a vegetarian gelatin substitute, a thickener for soups, in jellies, ice cream and other desserts, as a clarifying agent in brewing, and for sizing paper and fabrics.

Agar properties as a kind of food additives:
    *Agar agar is a versatile hydrocolloid completely soluble in boiling water.
    *Special Agar agar powders can be dissolved at lower temperatures.
    *Agar agar provides odourless, colourless superior quality gels even at very low concentrations.
    *Agar agar has good synergies with sugars and with different hydrocolloids.
    *Agar agar is the strongest natural jelling agent.

Agar is a heterogeneous mixture of two classes of polysaccharide: agaropectin and agarose.Although both polysaccharide classes share the same galactose-based backbone, agaropectin is heavily modified with acidic side-groups, such as sulfate and pyruvate.

Agar-agar is a natural vegetable gelatin counterpart. White and semi-translucent, it is sold in packages as washed and dried strips or in powdered form. It can be used to make jellies, puddings, and custards. For making jelly, it is boiled in water until the solids dissolve. Sweetener, flavouring, colouring, fruit or vegetables are then added and the liquid is poured into molds to be served as desserts and vegetable aspics, or incorporated with other desserts, such as a jelly layer in a cake.

In Russia it is used in addition or as a replacement to pectin in jams and marmalades, as a substitute to gelatin for its superior gelling properties, and as a strengthening ingredient in souffles and custards. The most famous use of agar-agar is in Ptich’ye moloko (Bird’s Milk), a rich gellied custard (or soft meringue) used as a cake filling or chocolate-glazed as individual sweets.

Even if agar agar power doesn’t have the exact same effect as a kind of thicheners, you can use it for all creams and cakes but it is more difficult to use. Another problem is that it’s only just becoming popular and many recipes use gelatine. Bear in mind that you usually need 2g of agar agar per 500ml of liquid.So the quality of it is very important,you can have a try foodchem’s agar agar.I thick you can easily do what you want to make.

Other thickeners: Carrageenan   CMC    Pectin