Neon Agar-Agar Noodles (Printable)

Chilled colorful agar-agar noodles with a savory soy dipping sauce offering a playful texture and vibrant appearance.

# What You Need:

→ Neon Agar-Agar Noodles

01 - 2.1 cups water
02 - 0.25 oz agar-agar powder
03 - 1 tablespoon sugar
04 - Assorted neon food-safe gel or liquid food coloring

→ Dipping Sauce

05 - 0.34 cup soy sauce or tamari (for gluten-free)
06 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
07 - 1 tablespoon mirin
08 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
09 - 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
10 - 1 teaspoon sugar
11 - 1 scallion, finely sliced
12 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

→ Garnish

13 - Microgreens or edible flowers (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - In a saucepan, combine water, agar-agar powder, and sugar. Heat over medium flame, stirring constantly until agar-agar fully dissolves, about 2 to 3 minutes.
02 - Remove from heat and divide the mixture into separate bowls. Add a drop or two of different food coloring to each bowl, mixing thoroughly.
03 - Using a syringe or squeeze bottle, pipe colored agar into ice water to form strands. Let set for 1 to 2 minutes until firm. Alternatively, pour mixture into a flat tray, allow to set, then thinly slice into noodles using a sharp knife.
04 - Collect the noodles and rinse briefly under cold water. Drain and refrigerate until ready to serve.
05 - Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, grated ginger, and sugar until sugar dissolves. Stir in scallion and sesame seeds if using.
06 - Arrange chilled neon noodles in small bundles, garnished with microgreens or edible flowers if desired. Serve alongside the dipping sauce.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • You get to play with colors and textures in a way that feels like edible art, even if you've never made anything this fancy.
  • It's naturally light and elegant, which means you can serve it before a heavier meal without anyone feeling too full.
  • The surprise factor is real—people always ask how you made something that looks this good, and you get to casually explain the agar-agar magic.
02 -
  • Agar-agar sets much faster than gelatin—once you pour it into ice water, you have only seconds before it firms up, so have everything ready before you start.
  • Don't use boiling water directly from the kettle for the ice bath; use regular cold water with ice cubes, or your noodles will melt instead of set.
  • Food coloring intensity varies wildly between brands, so test with a tiny drop first and add more gradually—neon colors are forgiving and actually look better when they're bold.
03 -
  • Keep your syringe or squeeze bottle moving steadily as you pipe into the ice water; hesitation creates blobs instead of noodles.
  • The dipping sauce is actually better made 10 minutes before serving so the scallion stays crisp and the flavors haven't melded into a one-note blur.
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