Gum Paste with Gum Tragacanth

Using gum tragacanth rather than gelatin in gum paste produces a paste that is more pliable and more convenient to work with, as it does not dry out as quickly. This is also due, in part, to the addition of shortening, which acts as a moistening agent. Gum paste with gum tragacanth is ideal for small, time-consuming projects — for example, sculpting the head or arms of a figure, or when rolling out the paste and marking an intricate design, such as the bricks in a castle wall — as the paste