Rice paper

In fact, it consists of the pith of a small tree, Tetrapanax papyrifer, the rice paper plant (蓪草).

The cylindrical core of pith is rolled on a hard flat surface against a knife, by which it is cut into thin sheets of a fine ivory-like texture.

Dyed in various colours, this rice paper is extensively used for the preparation of artificial flowers, while the white sheets are employed for watercolor drawings.

The branches are cut into sections two to three feet long and steamed in a large kettle, which makes the bark shrink back from the inner wood, allowing it to be pulled off like a banana peel.

Rinsing also makes the fibre brighter and whiter—fine kozo paper is not bleached, but is naturally pure white.

Any tiny pieces of black bark and other debris are removed with tweezers, and any knots or tough patches of fibre missed during scraping are cut out of the strips.

Formation aid is polyethylene oxide, and it helps slow the flow of water, which gives the paper-maker more time to form sheets.

The sheets are individually dipped briefly for a few seconds in warm or cool water to soften, then wrapped around savoury or sweet ingredients.

Edible paper is used in the home baking of foods such as macarons and is often sold separately as colored sheets that are either plain or printed with images, such as bank notes.