Hongkonger Anne Sit Kim-ping rolls a chunk of hot, sticky sugar into a ball and wraps it around a small skewer. With a bit of pinching and pulling, sometimes with the help of scissors, she transforms it into the shape of a shrimp.
Her handiwork takes less than two minutes: speed is a crucial factor in the art of sugar sculpting and blowing, the focus of a workshop that Sit is hosting for about 20 people.
“If you’re too slow, or the sugar cools, it hardens into an unworkable lump,” she says.
Temperature control is crucial, so much so that Sit adjusts the air conditioner. “It’s better when it’s a bit warmer.”
Much like a baker working with dough, a sugar sculpture is a hands-on skill that involves a lot of kneading and pulling. Just like with bread making, there is a science behind it, one that is also dictated by time and temperature.
If the sugar is too hot, it becomes watery. If it is too low, it solidifies, making it hard to create delicate shapes.
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