SOME ALGAL, GELATINES. 3 



herring: from breaking to pieces when subjected to the ordinary 

 rough treatment of transportation. 



For many years Irish moss has been used as a food, aUhough its 

 nutritiA^e vahie is very shght. Its importance in this respect lies 

 in the fact that it can render certain very nourishing foods, such as 

 milk, more palatable and increase the variety of v>'ays in Avhich they 

 can be served. 



BLANC MANGE. 



Blanc-manse pudding is probably the most popular dish prepared from 

 Irish moss. It is made accordins: to the Boston Cooking School Cook Book as 

 follows: One-thi]-d cup Irish moss, 4 cups milk, % teaspoonful salt, IVo tea- 

 spoonfuls vanilla. Soak moss 15 minutes in cold water to cover, drain, pick 

 over, and add to milk; cook in double boiler 30 minutes; the milk will seem 

 but little thicker than when put on to cook, but if cooked longer, blanc mange 

 will be too stiff. Add salt, strain, flavor, re-strain, and fill individual molds 

 previously dipped in cold water; chill, turn on glass dish, surround with thin 

 slices of banana, and place a slice on each mold. Serve witli sugar and cream. 



CHOCOLATE BLANC MANGE. 



Chocolate blane-mange pudding is made by adding to the above hot extract 

 a smoothly stirred mixture consisting of 1% squares of melted Baker's choco- 

 late in % cup of boiling water and 14 cup of sugar. Chill and serve with 

 sugar and cream. 



This method, which has been in use for many years, can be simplified greatly 

 by using, instead of the % cu]i of Irish moss, 2 level teaspoonfuls of the dry 

 ground extract of Irish moss to each quart of milk placed in a double boiler, 

 it dissolves in about 1-5 minutes and requires no stniining. Besides saving 

 time and the trouble of straining and of washing extra utensils, it conserves 

 materials. The saving of carrageenin, resulting from the \ise of the pure dry 

 extract, would probably pay for the extra expense involved in its preparation. 



AGAR-AGAR. 



Agar-agar is the commercial name applied to the dried, gelatinous 

 extract of certain species of red algfe. The algae most commonly 

 used are Gelidium corneum^ G. cwrtilagineum, Gracilaria confer- 

 voides^ Eucheuma spinosum, and some species belonging to the 

 genera Gloiopeltis ^ and Gigartina. Of these, the Gelidium varieties 

 produce the best quality of agar. Most of the agar of commerce is 

 produced at present in Japan, China, Malaysia, and Ceylon, although 

 there seems to be no reason why tlie United States should not manu- 

 facture more than enough for its needs. During the year 1920 

 this country imported 240 tons, having a value of nearly half a 

 million dollars. 



1 In the original manuscript of tlio author this namfi appearrd as Tpnax, which was 

 inicli'ntly an error of th(» copjist. Since the death of the author occurred, just after 

 comiiletins? the manuscript in longliand, there was no opportunity for correction of the 

 manuscript by him. Dr. Marshall A. Howe, of the New York Botanical Garden, has 

 ofl'eied the following suggestion and comment : 



" I suspect that what Dr. Field had in mind was Gloioprltis tenax. which, with other 

 species of that genus, is the source of th(^ ' funori ' of the Japanese, a sort of glue that is 

 extensively used in the Orient for the sizing of cloth. .Japan is said to produce two 

 or three million pounds of it a year. The word ' agar-agar ' appears to be of Ceylonese 

 origin, and the ' Ceylon moss ' of southern India, from which the agar-agar of commerce 

 is still in part derived, is chiefly GraciUiriit Uclienoidrs. Species of Gigartina occur in 

 (oiisidcrable quantity on the California coast and might perhaps be used commercially in 

 tliis comiection. Kiicfieiniia isiforrnr, a species of lienimda, sontliern Florida, and the 

 West Indies, rich in gelatin and of large size, could probably be successfully cultivated in 

 protected salt-water lagoons of southern Florida," 



