Hysteresis what is this peculiar word?

Hysteresis what is this peculiar word?

Hysteresis is the difference between the gelation temperature and the melting temperature of a gel.

The agar presents the highest hysteresis of all hydrocolloids. Once dissolved at a concentration of 1-1.5% in water, the solution forms a gel when cooled to 34-38ºC, and that gel only melts if heated to 85-90°C, not before.

This interesting property allows solutions to be easily solidified at room temperature, without the need for refrigeration, so that this gel can be reheated while maintaining stability at quite high temperatures. This means that, curiously, an agar solution can be in the range of 35-85ºC, either in liquid form or in gel form.

Being able to maintain a solidified product when hot makes its use in cooking more flexible or keeps the structure stable at room temperature even in very warm spaces. It is very useful, for example, for working with coatings or glazes. It also allows gel to form without the need for refrigeration, unlike gelatin which requires temperatures below 15ºC to gel and therefore a refrigerator.