– History:
– Gracilaria, known as gulaman, guraman, gulaman dagat, or gar-garao in Tagalog and other languages in the northern Philippines.
– Harvested and used as food for centuries, eaten fresh or sun-dried and turned into jellies.
– Earliest historical attestation in the Vocabulario de la lengua tagala (1754).
– Gulaman can also be made from Eucheuma spp., known as gusô tambalang in Visayan languages.
– Use of gusô to make jellies among the Visayans recorded in the Diccionario De La Lengua Bisaya, Hiligueina y Haraia.
– Description:
– Gulaman is the chief Filipino culinary use of agar made from processed Gracilaria seaweed.
– Carrageenan derived from seaweed species like Eucheuma and Kappaphycus alvarezii.
– Traditionally made from Betaphycus gelatinus, Gracilariopsis longissima, Gelidiella acerosa, and Agardhiella.
– Sold dehydrated in foot-long dry bars, plain or colored, and in powder form.
– Suitable for those with dietary restrictions excluding gelatine, such as Muslims or vegans.
– See also:
– List of Philippine desserts.
– Chondrus crispus.
– Kaong.
– Nata de coco.
– Sago.
– References:
– Montaño, Marco Nemesio (2004) Gelatin, gulaman, JellyAce, atbp.
– Marine Plants Section, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute.
– Zaneveld, Jacques S. (1959) The Utilization of Marine Algae in Tropical South and East Asia.
– Albert H. Wells (1916) Possibilities of Gulaman Dagat as a Substitute for Gelatin in Food.
– de Noceda, Juan; de Sanlucar, Pedro (1754) Vocabulario de la lengua Tagala.
– Additional:
– Gelatine dissolves in hot water, while boiling water is necessary to dissolve gulaman.
– Gulaman sets at room temperature, unlike gelatine.
– Gelatine melts at room temperature but is thermo-reversible.
– Gulaman is made from Gracilaria and Eucheuma seaweed species.
– Gulaman is a popular ingredient in Filipino cuisine.