Gelatin is a thickening agent and the substrate for some sweet sweets, such as gummy candies and marshmallows. It's why Jello is firm and jiggly, and it's why it's used to thicken cakes, pies, and even some low-fat dairy products.

So, why don't vegans eat gelatin?

It's made from animal skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments that have been ground up. Producers chop up animal components into tiny pieces to create gelatin. The bones, ligaments, skin, and tendons are then crushed up and cooked in hot water to remove the majority of the fat and cook the ground up bones, ligaments, skin, and tendons.

To release the collagen, the cooked meal is seated in an acid or alkali bath for several days. The animal parts are then cooked in superheated water, with the excess liquid drained and solid chunks left behind.

Those chunks are broken down to generate gelatin powder, which is used to make Jello, marshmallows and other gummy foods.

Sounds delicious?

Um not so much.

But hey, is there any vegan alternative to gelatin?

Most likely, yes! Agar agar! Just as how cool its name is, it works like magic too.

This seaweed-derived substance gels like gelatin, but it's made without using any animals. To use agar agar instead of gelatin in a recipe, first dissolve it in boiling water.

Agar agar comes in two forms: flake and powder. As a gelatin substitute, any one will suffice. Simply read the package to figure out how much you'll need, as amounts differ depending on whether you're using flakes or powder.