The “Sugar Wizards” of Hong Kong – Turning Candy into Magic 🍭

 If you think candy is only for eating, the artisans of Hong Kong will prove you wrong. In less than two minutes, a sticky lump of molten sugar can transform into a shrimp, a dragon, or even the full zodiac. Sounds like sorcery? It’s actually the ancient folk art of sugar blowing – a craft so magical it’s been compared to glassblowing, but sweeter (and stickier).


From Sticky Syrup to Living Creatures

Picture this: you’re holding a blob of caramel hotter than your morning coffee. Instead of burning their fingers, these artists stretch, twist, and blow air into it, breathing life into delicate shapes. The trick? Speed. Work too slowly, and the sugar hardens into something closer to a sweet brick than a masterpiece.

The Science Behind the Sweetness 🧑‍🍳🔥

  • Too hot → sugar turns into liquid chaos.

  • Too cold → sugar freezes like stone.

  • Just right → at 165–185°C, it’s malleable magic.

Artisans even drop a bit into cold water to test readiness—if it cracks, it’s showtime. For beginners, though, the real test is avoiding blisters. Let’s just say, not all sugar is sweet.


A Cultural Heritage You Can Eat

Recognized in 2014 as part of Hong Kong’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, sugar blowing traces its roots back to the Song Dynasty. Back then, “Sugarmen” roamed the streets with a pot of syrup and secret recipes, enchanting kids with edible art.

Today, traditional zodiac animals remain popular, but modern twists include seasonal icons like lanterns, ghosts, or even superheroes. Yes, Spider-Man can be chewy.

Meet the “Sugarman” 🍬

Louis To Wun, affectionately known as Sugarman, has spent 16 years shaping syrup into miniature wonders on Cheung Chau Island. For him, it’s not just candy – it’s about keeping childhood magic alive.

“When I was young, watching sugar turn into animals felt like real magic. We didn’t have many toys, so this was unforgettable,” he recalls.


Why It Still Matters in the Age of AI 🤖

While robots are busy taking jobs, sugar blowing stands firm as a craft of patience, imperfection, and joy. As artisan Anne Sit puts it: “Sometimes the sugar hardens before you finish, so you improvise and create something new. That’s part of the fun.”

In other words, sugar art reminds us of something technology can’t replicate: the delight of watching a simple, sticky lump turn into a piece of edible wonder.

👉 Next time you’re in Hong Kong, skip the factory-made candy bar. Instead, let a sugar wizard blow your mind – literally.

source: SCMP

Comment

Comments

Post a Comment

Viewed in recent months

Cambricon Goes Supersonic: 4,000% Revenue Boom, But Nvidia Still Laughs from Its Throne

 China’s AI chip scene just got spicy. Cambricon, a homegrown chipmaker, pulled off an insane 4,000% revenue jump in the first half of 2025, hitting $402 million with record profits of $143 million. Talk about glow-up energy. Cambricon But let’s keep it real: while Cambricon is celebrating, Nvidia made $46.7 billion in a single quarter . That’s like bringing a water gun to a flamethrower fight. So, what’s going on? The Ban Dance : The U.S. keeps tightening export rules, cutting China off from Nvidia’s best AI chips. Even Nvidia’s “China-only” H20 chip was banned, unbanned, and slapped with a 15% revenue cut for Uncle Sam. Beijing, meanwhile, is telling its tech giants: “Maybe don’t buy that.” The Stock Party : Investors are hyped. Cambricon’s stock more than doubled this year, shooting its market cap to $80 billion . Not bad for an underdog scooter chasing an F1 car. The Reality Check : Nvidia isn’t just about hardware—it owns the AI software playground too. Cambricon ...
Read more

🏃‍♀️ The 92-Year-Old Grandma Who Runs 200m in Under a Minute!

 🥇 1. The Speed Queen of U-100 Meet Emma Maria Mazzenga —at 92 years old , she clocked 54.47 seconds in the 200m sprint. That’s fast enough to leave some teenagers gasping for air. Oh, and she basically ran solo : In Italy? She was the only runner. At the World Championships? Just her vs. one American grandma. Legendary. 💪 2. Her “Age-Hacked” Body Scientists are losing their minds over her muscle tissue: Heart health = like a 50-year-old. Fast-twitch fibers = like a 70-year-old. Slow-twitch endurance fibers = like a 20-year-old. Translation: she’s basically a hybrid between Wonder Woman and a Duracell battery. 🔋✨ 🔬 3. Science Can’t Get Enough Italian and American researchers literally drove hours just to beg her for muscle samples (tiny chunks, the size of a pencil eraser). Now, labs are studying her cells and planning three major scientific papers. Yes, grandma is about to become a peer-reviewed superstar . 📚🏅 📊 4. The Grandma’s Sec...
Read more

🌍 Google Spills the Tea: Your AI Prompt Isn’t Free (Environmentally Speaking)

  🤖 The Cost of Asking Gemini “What’s 2+2?” Turns out, every time you chat with Google’s AI, the planet pays a tiny bill . According to Google’s latest report, a single Gemini prompt costs: ⚡ 0.24 Wh of energy → about 9 seconds of Netflix 🍿 💧 0.26 ml of water → basically five baby drops 🌫 0.033 g CO₂ → like riding a scooter for 1 km… after 1,000 prompts 🛵 So yes, your dumb “write me a haiku about pizza” request does leave a microscopic footprint. 💪 Google’s Eco Glow-Up Before you clutch your metal straws, Google wants you to know: it’s getting better. ⚡ Energy efficiency: 33x improvement in one year 🌱 Carbon reduction: 44x cleaner Basically, Gemini went from gas-guzzler to Prius… okay, maybe not a Tesla yet. 🚗⚡ 🌊 The “Tiny x Billions” Problem Here’s the kicker: while each query is small, we’re all addicted. Multiply those baby water drops by millions of users and—oops—suddenly it’s Niagara Falls. 🌊 And by 2030, AI could slurp down more el...
Read more

🌲🌿 Brooo… They Found a Whole Weed Forest in California! 🌿🌲

 magine hiking in Sequoia National Park thinking you’ll see squirrels and big trees. Then suddenly—BAM 💥—you walk into a 13-acre marijuana jungle . Like Narnia, but instead of a lion, it’s just… leaves that make you giggle. The Numbers That’ll Blow Your Mind 🤯 2,377 marijuana plants = enough to make Snoop Dogg say “Woah, that’s a lot.” Each plant drinks 30 liters of water per day . That’s more than me on a hot day after 3 bowls of pho. Rangers also found a gun and illegal pesticides . Dude… this ain’t chill, that’s just shady. Vibe Check 🌌 Hidden trails, underground pipes, sketchy camps. It’s basically Lord of the Rings but everyone’s just searching for “The One Joint to Rule Them All.” Meme Mode 💨 🌲 Giant Sequoia: “I’ve lived 3,000 years.” 🌿 Weed Plant: “Cool story, bro. Wanna vibe?” 🚨 Serious Note 🚨 As funny as this sounds, growing and using marijuana like this is illegal , dangerous for the environment , and comes with heavy penalties . So no, ...
Read more

Có nên đầu tư vàng thời điểm này?

 Trong bối cảnh kinh tế thế giới nhiều biến động, vàng luôn được xem là một trong những kênh trú ẩn an toàn. 1. Ưu điểm khi đầu tư vàng Bảo toàn giá trị: Vàng thường giữ giá trị tốt trong thời kỳ lạm phát. Thanh khoản cao: Dễ dàng mua bán tại các tiệm vàng hoặc ngân hàng. Ít rủi ro hơn so với chứng khoán, forex. 2. Nhược điểm khi đầu tư vàng Lợi nhuận không cao: Vàng tăng giá khá chậm so với bất động sản hoặc chứng khoán. Biến động ngắn hạn: Giá vàng có thể lên xuống theo tin tức, chính sách tiền tệ. Chi phí mua bán: Chênh lệch mua – bán (spread) có thể khá cao, nhất là vàng SJC. 3. Lời khuyên cho nhà đầu tư cá nhân Nên dành 10 – 20% tài sản cho vàng như một kênh phòng thủ. Nếu vốn nhỏ, có thể mua tích lũy từng chỉ. Tránh “lướt sóng” vàng nếu không có nhiều kinh nghiệm. 👉 Tóm lại: Vàng phù hợp để giữ giá trị lâu dài , nhưng không nên kỳ vọng “giàu nhanh” từ vàng.
Read more

👕 From Trendy Tee to Dinner Plate: The Wild Journey of Microfiber Fashion

  🌀 Laundry Day: When Shirts Go Rogue Your shiny new polyester T-shirt looks cute… until laundry day. Each wash unleashes up to 700,000 invisible microplastic fibers —tiny troublemakers that slide down the drain like sneaky ninjas. 🌱 From Sewage to Soil Not all fibers get caught at wastewater plants. Some end up in sewage sludge, which gets spread as fertilizer. Congratulations: your old leggings are now soil seasoning . In one UK study, 1% of sludge weight = plastic . Yikes. 🐛 Worms & Snails: Accidental Foodies Earthworms and snails munch on soil full of these fibers. The result? 1 in 3 worms and 1 in 4 snails are now plastic diners. Imagine Michelin stars for "polyester à la carte." 🍽️ And Guess Who’s Next? Yep. Us. Those fibers climb the food chain—plants, animals, seafood—until they sneak onto our dinner plates. That trendy Zara top? It could end up in your sushi roll. 📊 Quick Recap Step What Happens 🧺 Wash clothes 700,000 fibers escape 💧 Wa...
Read more

🌙 Saigon (Vietnam) After Dark: Where the Night Comes Alive!

 Looking for a night out that’s more than just neon lights and overpriced cocktails? Saigon has you covered! This September 2nd, the city is rolling out the red carpet (metaphorically, of course) with two epic nighttime tours that promise fun, culture, and a dash of adventure. 🦁 Thảo Cầm Viên – The Night Safari You Never Knew You Needed Ever wanted to see a tiger yawn under the moonlight? Or a giraffe giving you side-eye as you munch on popcorn? Thảo Cầm Viên is opening its gates from 5 PM to 8 PM daily from August 28 to September 2, offering: Free entry (yes, you read that right) 50 cultural booths showcasing Vietnam’s rich heritage Traditional crafts like Bát Tràng pottery, Định Yên mats, and Long Khánh scarves A chance to witness the “Vui Tết Độc lập – Hội tụ non sông” festival, where the whole country comes together in one place It's like a cultural buffet, but with more animals and less food poisoning. 🔥 Suối Tiên – Where Myth Meets Modernity From Au...
Read more

🧘‍♀️ The 10 Chillest Cities on Earth (2025 Edition)

 Looking for a city where stress goes to die and happiness comes with free sunshine? Here are the world’s ultimate relaxation capitals — with a side of sarcasm. 🥇 1. San Diego, USA 🌴 220+ parks 🌳 3,000+ hours of sunshine ☀️ 400 wellness centers 🧖‍♀️ Basically, it’s like living inside a screensaver. Even traffic jams are too relaxed to honk. 🥈 2. Singapore 🌱 240+ parks 🌳 698 wellness centers 💆 2,000 hours of sunshine ☀️ Singaporeans are so chill their trains arrive on time without breaking a sweat . 🥉 3. Vienna, Austria 🎻 91 parks 🌳 137 spas 🛁 Average commute: 21.5 minutes 🚆 Vienna is so calm even Mozart would’ve swapped his symphonies for lo-fi beats. 4. Sydney, Australia 🐨 Beach life, coffee culture, and kangaroos who don’t believe in Mondays. Stress? Never heard of her. 5. Melbourne, Australia 🎨 Art, culture, and enough coffee shops to keep the entire city caffeinated and zen. Life moves slower here — except fo...
Read more

🐭 New York vs. The Rat Army: High-Tech Showdown

  The Rodent Menace New York City is no stranger to rats—they basically have their own zip codes. 🏙️ But now, the Big Apple is fighting back with high-tech weapons : apps, maps, and data-driven strategies to track and tackle these furry invaders. 📱 Rat Tracking App Residents can report rat sightings through a smartphone app , which then maps hotspots. Think of it as Google Maps… but for rats . City officials use this data to deploy pest-control squads more effectively, turning rat hunts into a strategic operation. 🗺️ Rat Information Portal The city also launched a Rat Information Portal : Interactive maps showing rat activity 🐀 Inspection results 🏢 Hotspot alerts 🚨 Residents can check their neighborhoods and report new sightings—like Pokémon Go, but with rodents. 🏡 Community Engagement NYC isn’t doing this alone. Residents are encouraged to: Secure trash bins 🗑️ Clean up food scraps 🍕 Seal entry points 🏠 It’s basically a neighborhood alli...
Read more

🌦️ La Niña Might Crash This Fall… But Don’t Freak Out

  The Forecast: Scientists say there’s a 21% chance La Niña will show up between July and September 2025, and over 50% from September to January 2026. Translation: she might come by, but she’s probably just dropping in for a coffee. ☕ Who is La Niña Anyway? La Niña is basically El Niño’s chilly cousin . She loves global weather chaos: ❄️ Northern U.S.: cold & wet 🌞 Southern U.S.: warm & dry 🌪️ Atlantic: hurricane playground But Don’t Panic: Experts say this La Niña is likely a lightweight . Think of her as the guest who eats your snacks but doesn’t touch your Wi-Fi—annoying, but harmless. Meanwhile… Earth is still heating up thanks to climate change, so whether ENSO decides to throw a tantrum or not, it’s still getting toastier out there. 🔥 Bottom Line: La Niña might swing by, but she’s shy, short-term, and won’t ruin your life. Stay cozy, enjoy your cocoa, and maybe keep an umbrella handy. ☔
Read more