Edible Food Paper
The technology of producing edible paper has been known to humanity for several hundred years. It first appeared in Japan, and the raw material for it was algae. This is the well-known nori, which sushi lovers know perfectly well. Later, edible rice paper became widespread in Asian countries and was used to prepare many dishes. Today, food paper has become a wonderful assistant for every pastry chef. In Ukraine, two types of paper are most common: wafer and sugar paper.
What is Food Paper
Essentially, it is a sheet of thinly rolled and dried dough. Depending on the type, its composition may include: rice flour, starch, sugar, salt, and vanillin. As you can see, there are only safe and familiar ingredients here. Wafer paper has a neutral taste, so it is suitable for any dish, not affecting the taste sensations at all. Sugar paper has its own sweetish taste and delicate aroma.
What Edible Paper Looks Like
Edible rice paper, compared to standard office paper, has a grayish tint and a more pronounced graininess. Such paper comes in different thicknesses, usually 0.4 or 0.7 mm. Thin sheets are translucent; thick ones are denser. The surface is slightly rough. Sugar paper is quite dense, bright white in color. Its surface is also more grainy and rougher than that of office paper. Sugar paper must be protected from drying out, otherwise, it becomes brittle and fragile.
Application in Pastry Arts
Printing on edible paper has become widespread. Such edible images decorate the top surface of cakes or cupcakes. The size of the image can be chosen any, depending on your desire. The drawing is applied to a standard A4 sheet of paper. You can cut out the picture or the necessary fragment with ordinary scissors right before use.
It is possible to print any image on food paper. A favorite character, a movie frame, a smartphone screen, a book page, and even a photograph of the birthday person. To carry out photo printing on edible paper, you must provide a high-quality original photograph. The requirements for the size (quality) of any image are the same: the picture must be in high resolution and without watermarks.
Photo printing is carried out on a special printer using edible ink. They are an aqueous solution of food dyes universally used in the food industry. Edible paper for a food printer is stored sealed to avoid dust and excessive drying. Finished printed images are stored on a flat surface, isolated from air exposure. Subject to these conditions, the shelf life of the pictures is at least a year.
Another trend that has become incredibly popular is wafer floristry. As the name implies, it is the creation of flowers from wafer paper. This material is quite flexible and pliable, and after drying it holds the given shape well. Dyed with food coloring, wafer paper acquires shades inherent in real flowers. Wafer flowers are used to decorate cakes and pastries, or as an independent composition. If desired, such decor can be eaten or kept as a keepsake.
Edible Paper: How to Make It
If necessary, edible paper for a cake can be made independently. Take rice flour and a little salt, knead a stiff dough. Roll it out into a thin layer on a floured surface. When the paper dries, remove excess flour, and cut the sheet if necessary. To make sugar paper, you need to prepare fondant and roll it out on a surface sprinkled with starch or powdered sugar. Make sure the layer is not too thin. You don't need to wait for the paper to dry completely. The sheet should be strong, but soft and flexible. Be sure to isolate it from the air with plastic wrap.
Rice Edible Paper, Buy in an Online Store
In retail outlets, such a product is a great rarity. Wholesale-retail stores and online platforms can offer you much more. For example, in the Farina online store, you will find both wafer and sugar paper. As well as ink for a food printer at a competitive price. If you are going to do photo printing yourself, you will need only 3 basic ink colors: yellow, blue, and red. Especially for such cases, we have wholesale prices. Thus, you already have an answer to the question of where you can buy edible paper.
How much does edible paper cost? Of course, the cost of paper depends on the manufacturer. In terms of price/quality ratio, we recommend KopyForm and Modecor. The manufacturing countries are Germany and Italy, respectively. The minimum number of sheets per pack is 25 pieces. Prices start from 179 hryvnias per package.
