Question: What Are Aliginates Used For?

Alginates, derived from seaweed, are used as thickening agents and to create edible jellies,gels, and gelatins. They are often used as an alternative to gelatin made from animal proteins. This is useful for vegetarians as well as Kosher diets, since many animal based gelatins are made using pork. Since alginates have very little flavor, they are sometimes mixed with a flavored liquid and then dripped into a calcium chloride solution. This causes them to form spherical gel balls with the flavored liquid inside.