Bean Paste and Gumpaste

What's all this this thing about bean paste. What's the advantage of it over gumpaste?

 

I’ve never used the bean paste so I can only relay what I’ve heard about it.

Gumpaste:
- dries hard so holds shape very well
- can be rolled thin
- more opaque
- takes food dye well
- commercially produced

Bean Paste:
- dries more slowly, extending time to
work with it
- rolls thin
- more translucent
- not commercially produced so added labor and time to make paste
- since you have to make the paste achieving consistency could be a problem

 

Thank you @Norcalbaker59

 

Huh, this is news to me, I hadn't realised bean paste fondant was a thing! You learn a new thing every day

 

Yeah. Bean paste used mostly used only for flowers, not as fondant for cake covering.

 

It’s not real popular in Western countries, it’s an thing with us Asians. But with the popularity of the “Korean” buttercream flower cakes, westerners are looking at more Asian cake decorating videos and discovering the beans paste. My youngest sister absolutely hates all things made sweet bean. So I’ve never been inclined to use it.

 

On a slightly related note, Ian was trying to remember the word for 'fondant' yesterday, and the best he could come up with was 'sugar pastry'!!! Really made me laugh!

 

Ok, thank you for your time.