Miyuki at Work
Japanese candy artist Miyuki crafts hot rice dough into whimsical candy animals suggested by the audience in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot in Orlando, Florida.
When we first saw her several years ago she gave the candy out to the kids who made the requests, but now she said she donates the creatures to a local hospital.
From Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_Miyuki):
Miyuki is an Ame Zaiku artist who performs at Epcot's Japanese Pavilion inside the World Showcase since 1996. She creates sculptures on a stick from soft rice dough, a taffy-like product made from corn starch and sugar. She makes animals at the request of guests, in mere seconds, dragons being her most popular. She starts with a white base and adds color as needed. The dough she works with is heated to 200 degrees to make it malleable, which is one of the reasons so few people have mastered this art. She must work quickly before the sugar cools and hardens.
Miyuki is the only female candy artist trained in Ame Zaiku or Japanese Candy Art, which is a candy artistry that dates 2,400 years.
Miyuki is distinguished to be the first and only woman to receive training as a candy artist in Japan. There are only 15 formally trained Ame Zaiku artists in the world. Miyuki began her apprenticeship training in 1989 under her grandfather Mr. Kinura, one of the best and most renowned candy artists in Japan.
After completing her training and becoming an independent candy artist, she traveled to Italy in 1994. She has also traveled extensively in Japan and Europe to demonstrate her artistic creation of the candy arts at conventions, local festivals, and private parties, where people of all ages are entertained by her special talents.
Miyuki at Work
Japanese candy artist Miyuki crafts hot rice dough into whimsical candy animals suggested by the audience in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot in Orlando, Florida.
When we first saw her several years ago she gave the candy out to the kids who made the requests, but now she said she donates the creatures to a local hospital.
From Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_Miyuki):
Miyuki is an Ame Zaiku artist who performs at Epcot's Japanese Pavilion inside the World Showcase since 1996. She creates sculptures on a stick from soft rice dough, a taffy-like product made from corn starch and sugar. She makes animals at the request of guests, in mere seconds, dragons being her most popular. She starts with a white base and adds color as needed. The dough she works with is heated to 200 degrees to make it malleable, which is one of the reasons so few people have mastered this art. She must work quickly before the sugar cools and hardens.
Miyuki is the only female candy artist trained in Ame Zaiku or Japanese Candy Art, which is a candy artistry that dates 2,400 years.
Miyuki is distinguished to be the first and only woman to receive training as a candy artist in Japan. There are only 15 formally trained Ame Zaiku artists in the world. Miyuki began her apprenticeship training in 1989 under her grandfather Mr. Kinura, one of the best and most renowned candy artists in Japan.
After completing her training and becoming an independent candy artist, she traveled to Italy in 1994. She has also traveled extensively in Japan and Europe to demonstrate her artistic creation of the candy arts at conventions, local festivals, and private parties, where people of all ages are entertained by her special talents.