Agar Agar

Agar Agar, also known under the product name Kanten, is a vegan replacement for gelatin. Agar agar is processed from red algae into sheets, flakes and powder. The powder and flakes are easy to work with and are high in proteins and fiber. Use 1 teaspoon agar powder to thicken 1 cup of liquid. Click here for some recipes, but please do not forget, we cannot treat the sheets, flakes and powder the same way. The ratio is 1 to 3 (powder to flakes) so if your recipe tells you to use 3ts of flakes, you use 1ts of powder. For acid juices you will need more. It does not work with lemon juice or products with chocolate in it. It works wonderful for vegetable aspics.
If you live in Thailand, you can buy agar here.

Kombu

Kombu (or konbu) is an edible kelp from the family Laminariaceae widely eaten in Asia. Most kombu is from the species Saccharina japonica (Laminaria japonica), extensively cultivated on ropes in the seas of Japan and Korea. Over 90 percent of Japanese kombu is cultivated, mostly in Hokkaidō, but also as far south as the Seto Inland Sea. Kombu can be used to make soup stock. If you cook beans, adding some kombu in the cooking process, will make the beans easier to digest. You also can make kombu tempura. Kombu is a good source of glutamic acid and contains iodine, a mineral that is essential for normal growth and development. It is also a source of dietary fiber. If you live in Thailand, you can buy kombu here.

Nori

Nori is the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species of the red alga ;Porphyra including most notably P. yezoensis and P. tenera. Finished products are made by a shredding and rack-drying process that resembles papermaking. Japan, Korea, and China are the current major producers of nori, with total production valued at up to US$2 billion per year. Nori is commonly used as a wrap for sushi and onigiri. It is also a common garnish or flavoring in noodle preparations and soups.
Nori is most typically toasted prior to consumption . It is high in fiber, protein, vitamin C, calcium, iron, iodine and zinc. Nori, like all seaweed, is excellent for Vegans as it provides up to ten times more calcium and iron by weight than milk. In the East research has shown seaweed strengthens the circulatory system and lowers cholesterol. It also boosts metabolism so helps with weight-loss. Both pets and plants benefit from it as well. In Wales and other parts of Europe nori is called laver. The Welsh make it into laver bread by mixing oatmeal, fresh boiled laver and orange juice, forming it into cakes and frying. A popular dish there on the Saint David's Day.
If you live in Thailand, you can buy nori here.

Hiziki

Hijiki or hiziki (Sargassum fusiforme, syn. Hizikia fusiformis) is a brown sea vegetable growing wild on rocky coastlines around Japan, Korea, and China. The written kanji forms of its two names, which are examples of ateji, literally mean deer-tail grass andsheep-nest grass, respectively. Hijiki is a traditional food and has been a part of a balanced diet in Japan for centuries. Hijiki is known to be rich in dietary fibre and essential minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium. According to Japanese folklore, hijiki aids health and beauty and the thick, black, lustrous hair of the Japanese is connected to this regular consumption of small amounts of hijiki. If you live in Thailand, you can buy your hijiki here.