天草 (Tengusa)

Izu and Tosa Bay tengusa-harvesting traditions go back 400+ years; ama-diver supply networks plus modern aquaculture give Japan the world's most-developed tengusa value chain.
Agar yield 25-40% dry weight (varies by harvest grade); galactose-rich polysaccharide; gel strength of finished agar 600-1,000 g/cm².
Kanten (agar) raw material, traditional confectionery suppliers (yokan, mizu-yokan), specialty regional gourmet retail.
Red seaweed (Gelidium amansii) — the principal raw material for traditional Japanese kanten (agar) production. Distinct from kanten (the finished gelling agent) in being the marine harvest stage. Izu (Shizuoka), Boso Peninsula (Chiba), Kii Peninsula (Wakayama, Mie), and Tosa Bay (Kochi) are the heritage tengusa-harvesting regions. Wild-harvest divers (mostly female 'ama' divers in some regions) collect tengusa during summer months; the harvested seaweed is sun-dried, then sold to specialty kanten producers in Nagano (for traditional kaku-kanten) and Gifu (for industrial agar). A foundational layer of the Japanese agar supply chain.
| Japão | Food product; raw material for agar production; JAS-eligible processing routes |
|---|---|
| União Europeia | Food import; raw material for E406 (agar) processing |
| Estados Unidos | GRAS; FDA Prior Notice for raw seaweed |
| China | GACC food facility registration; verify import for raw material |