Gulaman
Encyclopedia
Gulaman, in Filipino cuisine, refers to the bars of dried seaweed
used to make jellies
or flan
, as well as the desserts made from it. Agarose or agar is made of processed seaweed, mostly from Gelidium corneum
--one of the most common edible alga, dehydrated and formed into foot-long dry bars which are either plain or coloured.
The gulaman jelly bars are used in the various Filipino refreshments or desserts such as sago at gulaman (or gulaman at sago, commonly shortened to sago't gulaman), buko pandan, agar flan, halo-halo
, different varieties of Filipino fruit salads, black gulaman, and red gulaman.
It has also come to refer to the refreshment or dessert, sometimes referred to as samalamig or sago't gulaman, sold at roadside stalls and vendors. This drink consists of gulaman cubes and/or sago
(tapioca pearls) suspended in milk, fruit juice or brown-sugar water flavored with pandan leaves.
It is also sold commercially as Pearl Shakes.
, although they are very different products. While gelatine is a protein
, gulaman is a plant-derived carbohydrate
, made from seaweed. This distinction makes gulaman suitable for those who may not eat gelatine for religious or cultural reasons, such as Muslims.
Gelatine dissolves in hot water but boiling water is necessary to dissolve gulaman. Unlike gelatine which sets at refrigerator temperature, gulaman sets at room temperature. While gelatine can melt at room temperature, it is uniquely thermo-reversible to its previous shape and form.
When used in desserts, gulaman produces a firm-textured product.
Seaweed
Seaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
used to make jellies
Gelatin dessert
Gelatin desserts are desserts made with sweetened and flavored gelatin. They can be made by combining plain gelatin with other ingredients or by using a premixed blend of gelatin with additives...
or flan
Custard
Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on a cooked mixture of milk or cream and egg yolk. Depending on how much egg or thickener is used, custard may vary in consistency from a thin pouring sauce , to a thick pastry cream used to fill éclairs. The most common custards are used as...
, as well as the desserts made from it. Agarose or agar is made of processed seaweed, mostly from Gelidium corneum
Gelidium
Gelidium is a genus of thalloid alga comprising 124 species. Its members are known by a number of common names.Recorded common names are tengusa, makusa, genso, niu mau tsai, japansche scheleiachtige mos, steen-or klipbloem, hay tsay, olus marinus, sajur laut, tschintschau, tschoo-hoae, onikusa,...
--one of the most common edible alga, dehydrated and formed into foot-long dry bars which are either plain or coloured.
The gulaman jelly bars are used in the various Filipino refreshments or desserts such as sago at gulaman (or gulaman at sago, commonly shortened to sago't gulaman), buko pandan, agar flan, halo-halo
Halo-halo
Halo-halo is a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and evaporated milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served in a tall glass or bowl....
, different varieties of Filipino fruit salads, black gulaman, and red gulaman.
It has also come to refer to the refreshment or dessert, sometimes referred to as samalamig or sago't gulaman, sold at roadside stalls and vendors. This drink consists of gulaman cubes and/or sago
Sago
Sago is a starch extracted in the spongy center or pith, of various tropical palm stems, Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak and sagu. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago. The largest supply...
(tapioca pearls) suspended in milk, fruit juice or brown-sugar water flavored with pandan leaves.
It is also sold commercially as Pearl Shakes.
Differences between gelatine and gulaman
The term gelatine and gulaman are used synonymously in the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, although they are very different products. While gelatine is a protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
, gulaman is a plant-derived carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
A carbohydrate is an organic compound with the empirical formula ; that is, consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 . However, there are exceptions to this. One common example would be deoxyribose, a component of DNA, which has the empirical...
, made from seaweed. This distinction makes gulaman suitable for those who may not eat gelatine for religious or cultural reasons, such as Muslims.
Gelatine dissolves in hot water but boiling water is necessary to dissolve gulaman. Unlike gelatine which sets at refrigerator temperature, gulaman sets at room temperature. While gelatine can melt at room temperature, it is uniquely thermo-reversible to its previous shape and form.
When used in desserts, gulaman produces a firm-textured product.