out into countless shapes. “Sugar work,” as
such preparations are called, goes back at
least 500 years. A “nest of silken threads,”
probably similar to our spun sugar, was made
from malt syrup for the Chinese Imperial
household before 1600; and in 17th-century
Italy, various banquet decorations, including
dishes, were made from sugar. In Japan, there
is a traditional street entertainment called
“sweet candy craft,” amezaiku, in which the
performers sculpt flowers, animals, and other
shapes while people watch.
The basic material for sugar work is
molten sucrose mixed with a large portion of
glucose and fructose to help prevent
crystallization. The glucose and fructose may
be added in the form of corn syrup, or the pure
sugars, or they may be formed from the
sucrose itself during the cooking of the syrup
with added acid (cream of tartar). The sugar
mixture is heated until it reaches 315–
330ºF/157–166ºC, at which point there is
barry
(Barry)
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