Candles are back in season, and they are trendier than ever. All across the world, the production of homemade candles is on the rise, but one of the greatest questions many candle makers ask themselves remains, “How can I make my candle stand out?”
Are you looking for a way to make your candles pop, this season? Then let us take a look at sprinkles.
WHAT ARE SPRINKLES?
Sprinkles are small food materials that are actually pieces of confectionary. They are usually used to decorate pieces of food (typically confectionary), in order to make them appear more colorful. They are also used to give additional texture and crunchiness to sweets and deserts (particularly baked goods like doughnut and cupcakes). Sprinkles also make fantastic toppers for frozen desserts like ice-cream and yoghurt.
Around the world, sprinkles are known by other names such as; hagelslag (Dutch), vermicelli, jimmies and meises (Indonesian). Another interesting name for them is “hundreds and thousands” (which is actually more of a phrase). Hundreds and thousands is a term that is particularly used for sprinkles in parts of the world like Britain, New Zealand and Australia. “Shots” and “nonpareils” is another term that can be used to describe sprinkles.
The type of material used in making the sprinkles may also influence their name (for example, “vermicelli” is a word that particularly used in the United Kingdom – for describing sprinkles – when they are made mainly from chocolate). However, in areas like parts of New England and Boston, “jimmies” is typically used to refer to the same thing (i.e. sprinkles made out of chocolate). But the origin of “jimmies” is not completely certain, as a famous candy company in Pennsylvania – the Just Born Candy Company – insists that they were actually the first ones to invent it. There are other claims that the co-founder of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute – Dr. Farber – was the one that actually coined the term “jimmies.”
HOW ARE SPRINKLES MADE?
Sprinkles, going by the term “nonpareils” have been around since the 1700s, when they were used to decorate desserts. However, Dutch chocolate sprinkles (hagelslag), were first created in 1913 by Erven H. de Jong. Hagelslag was used in many types of food (not just desserts), including bread where it was used with butter.
Different types of sprinkles exist, and some of them look alike; however, the materials used in their making determine a lot of things. Examples of these materials include; crystal sugar and sanding sugar. Crystal sugar has bigger crystals than sanding sugar. It is also a lot clearer. Sanding sugar, on the other hand, has smaller crystals than crystal sugar (even though these crystals are much larger than those of normal, general refined sugar).
Generally, sprinkles are made from sugar, wax, cornstarch, food dyes or artificial colors and artificial flavors. All these ingredients are mixed together to form a paste, which is then extruded through an equipment that forms it into long, thin strands (which bear a striking resemblance to noodles). The long strands are place on a suitable surface (e.g. a conveyor belt), then they are they are sprayed with food coloring and glazed. The sugar glaze a lot of sprinkles companies use contains a material gotten from insects, called shellac. This substance helps to improve the appearance and texture of the sprinkles. Some sprinkles also contain gelatin.
TOP SPRINKLES SUPPLIERS IN THE WORLD
There are several companies that supply sprinkles around the world. They include the following:
- Picnartsugar
Picnartsugar is a company that specializes in creating custom sprinkles and fondant toppers to their customers. It was launched in 2017 on ETSY, by a team of wonderful people who pay great attention to the smallest things (e.g. sprinkles).
- NYCake
This business was founded by bakers and cake enthusiasts who had a passion to help others create amazing cakes. It is one of the top sprinkles – and bakery items – suppliers in the city of New York.
- Baking Time Club
This company was founded in 2016 by a woman called Lavinia, due to her express interest in cake creation and kitchenware. Now, she lives her dream of being an excellent baker and sells sprinkles (as well as other bakery supplies) to people all over the world, through the internet.
- GlamFactory
GlamFactory is one of the top companies that supply sprinkles around the world. They have a wide range of sprinkles, which they supply to different countries in the world, with the aid of their website.
- Bakell
As far as sprinkle, glitters and cake decorations go, Bakell is one of the best suppliers in the industry. They help people stock up on materials which are suitable for bakers, cake artists and confectionary lovers. They also offer sweet deals and amazing discounts to their customers.
CAN YOU PUT SPRINKLES ON CANDLES?
Sprinkles made out of sugar and other edible materials are very pretty, and would make great decorations for candles; however, they are not suitable, based on their make-up (due to the fact that they contain sugar, which cannot be broken down or melted suitably by the candle’s flame, during candle burning). However, many candle makers still use sprinkles in making their products (and it is not uncommon to see such types of candles in stores, during festive seasons). However, the interesting fact about these candles is that they are usually made out of wax.
Wax sprinklers are some of the trendiest things in the world of candle-making, and they go a long way in adding beauty to candles. These sprinkles are made out of suitable types of candle wax that absorb color easily (because they are meant to be colorful); and due to their own make-up, they are able to melt well during candle burning, in a way that would not damage the candle (unlike sprinkles that are made out of sugar).
Some of them may even contain fragrances, which add more character to the candle that they are used to decorate (although, this type is more expensive).
