For anyone who ’s used the musical phrase “ too pretty to eat , ” we have a novel bench mark for you : amezaiku , the Nipponese prowess of sugar sculpture . Unlike other forms of carving , amezaikuis not formed by chipping from a block . rather , artists habituate their hands , tweezers , and scissors grip to shape liquefied Elmer Rice malt ( mizuame ) into fantastically realistic animal shapes and designs . They only have a few minutes to pull , tanginess , and stoop a dollop of nearly 200 academic degree - Fahrenheit confect on a stick ; any longer and the mizuame hardens and becomes stabile . at long last , creative person paint the forms with edible dyestuff to enhance the designs . The ending result is a popsicle unlike any other .
Amezaikuis an ancient Japanese tradition datingbackto the Heian catamenia ( 794 to 1185 CE ) , when people would leave the inured taffy creation as temple offering . In theEdo period(1603 to 1868 ) , the concoction became more popular thanks totraveling street seller , who would treat passersby with candymaking , fib , and medicine . Songs and poemscelebrated the art ; however , they offered little in the means of detailed descriptions that allow future generations to carry on the craft .
But that has n’t barricade dedicated artisans from fill in the gap . Athis shopin Tokyo ’s Asakusa district , 31 - yr - old Shinri Tezuka shapes realistic candy creations of goldfish , koi , frogs , octopuses , and other animals that are as translucent as glass and nearly as tenuous . He also encourages amateur to sample their hand at the ancient foxiness by forge a comparatively simplistic cony when they get together his public classes .
Tezuka pick up the prowess more than a decade ago , when he was 20 years old . “ At the prison term , it had declined to the detail where there was no teaching environment at all , and it was on the scepter of extinction , ” he distinguish Mental Floss . “ There was a strong feeling that it would be a shame to let it become extinct … It had a long history , was very attractive , and had been loved for a long time ; I felt a substantial mother wit of duty to guide this tradition . ”
Using literature , old video footage of artisans , and repeat , Tezuka teach himself the art of amezaiku . “ The skill to move my handwriting just is authoritative , but the skill to observe an physical object and grasp its Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe accurately is more important , ” he says . “ Many citizenry might be able to produce a seemly work if they were feed a whole day . But you have to make amezaiku in five minutes . That is the hardest part . ”
Today , artists figure there are only around 100 amezaiku practician in all of Japan . They ’re known astakumi — skilled craftspeople who hold an honored spot in Nipponese lodge . “ Although ‘ candy making ’ might go less than towering as a profession , it is a serious art with highly skilled artisans practicing it , " Nipponese food historiographer and cookbook authorElizabeth Andohtells Mental Floss . “ Using craftsmanship as a focal point for building a residential area commercially is not unique to this craft , or this community of interests . It is fairly vulgar practice session in Japan [ and has been ] for millennium . ”
