Sugar art is a specialty in the candy and pastry industry that involves using sugar to create intricate shapes, scenes, textures, and patterns. Sugar art can be found in a variety of places, from wedding cakes to store windows, and is especially popular during the winter holiday season. Top-tier artisans compete in competitions to test their abilities against those of others, and the displays at these events can be breathtaking.
People who want to do sugar art must first learn how to work with sugar. This art can be done using a variety of techniques, including blown and pulled sugar, and all of them require skill and practice. Sugar can be difficult to work with and, in the case of sugarworking techniques that involve heating sugar to high temperatures, it can be dangerous.
In blown sugar, a skilled artisan can create a variety of shapes, including animals and ornaments. Sugar ribbons and other decorative items can be made from pulled sugar, and people can also work with sugar that has been molded into various shapes. While some artisans use plain sugar, the majority use food colorings for everything from amazingly realistic flowers to delicate blown sugar ornaments on a holiday cake.
This is a highly perishable art form. When sugar art is exposed to moisture or high temperatures, it begins to weaken and melt, and many sugar creations are also very delicate. One of the characteristics of sugar that appeals to some artisans is its perishability, as their ephemeral creations are intended to be enjoyed for only a short time.
Edible sugar art, such as cake decorations, is a specialty of some people. Others may use unfit-for-human consumption stabilizers to create longer-lasting sculptures. End-of-semester projects at culinary schools often include a display of stabilized sugar art, with students working together to create an entirely sugar scene. Small decorations are also given as gifts in some cultures, and candy stores may use this art as a seasonal decoration.