This is totally a random question but, I have heard on more than a few times comments about how blue is a no-no in the pastry world and, I'm just wondering if anyone else has heard this and, if so, the reason why? I'm guessing maybe it is an esthetic thing but, was curious on the background.

Huh! I've never heard that. That doesn't mean it's not out there though. Well I'll take a guess here -- the amount of naturally "blue" foods are pretty limited (I'm thinking blueberries, blackberries and that's about it.) I'm sure there's something else blue out there but it's not coming to mind. Which is probably why they say "no blue" in the pastry world -- it's not a natural "food" color found in abundance. But as I say, it's just a guess. Anyone else?

Several years ago, I read a book by Erma Bombeck who said, and I quote "There is no known blue food." I do not even remember the context, but it has stuck with me. That probably has precious little to do with the price of tea in China, but sometimes things can start as small as that.

I've heard the sameit's not natural.

I was also told the same and to avoid making blue roses because it doesn't (or didn't) occur in nature. (Surely, there are naturally blue hybrids now, but probably not roses!?)

Yes, I think it's blue roses that the purists find particularly appalling.

Years ago...way back when they taught home economics in school, our teacher told us that you should never make food blue...it was unnatural because there wasn't any blue food. I guess blueberries are the exception, but even those are very dark, bordering on black.

RE: Blueberries, even those aren't really blue. They look blueish whole but once they are cut, mashed, jelled and/or juiced - they are purple.

I can't think of a single food that is truly blue in nature.

Hydrangias, statis, bluebells, delphiniums, iris, borage flowers, pansy and now the genetically engineered blue rose out of Australia (by a Japanese wholly owned subsidiary ) , blue corn and blue potatoes (I've grown some this year that are true blue...not purple). but you are correct, the list is short.

Blue roses are actually white roses that are put into water with food colouring in it. Change the water and the colour will start to leach out of the rose head.

I don't know, but my daughter wants a Smurf party for her birthday, so she is getting at least one tier of blue smurf-berry flavored cake!! LOL!

Seriously, yes, I have heard that there are no natural blue foods. As the pp said, blueberries are purple in color when mashed or cooked. Blue crab is pretty delicious, but no one is eating the blue shell

So would any of you not do a "blue" cake because there are no natural foods that are blue? Seriously not being sarcastic? Is it just in our mind to naturally not go for blue? Thoughts? Because I would do blue just because I love all color.

Like I said, my daughter is getting a blue smurf cake, and I don't care what anyone thinks about it. ..And if a customer is paying me for a cake, I'll make anything on it any color they want!

Now, Ive seen beautiful wedding cakes done in Royal blue and Gold, and they always gett scarffed down just like any other kind of cake! So I say "DO BLUE" if thats what strikes ya!

Well, this discussion certainly proves to me that if you keep your mind active and learning that you can learn something new everyday. I really had not thought about it, but there really isn't too much out there that is naturally blue in foods. The blue berry is blue on the outside, but she is right when she says that when you get to the pulp it is purple through and through. there are probably more flowers out there that are blue that we don't know about, but I know I see quite a few wildflowers that are blue and there are the texas bluebells also. Maybe someone already mentioned that.

My wedding cake was wedgewood blue.Lots of cakes done by pros are blue, especially Tiffany blue.

I would never think to not do a cake in any color unless it looked like some bodily function!

Hmm well then what's up with red velvet? Yeah, that's natural!

actually the origins of red velvet are natural. The red color originated from using sugar beets as a sweetener during a sugar ration.

Thanks for all the responses! It makes a bit of sense now that I understand the reasoning behind it. I certainly am not a purist so, no anti blue here! LMAO. I love the look of blue frosting although, I do personally find the look of blue cake unappealing.

there are lots of really beautiful blue cake in the gallery pictures and they look appetizing

You've probably never heard of the Blue Quandong Fruit, but it is blue blue blue.

Oh, I'm sure they look lovely, the only few I've seen were on various cooking comp shows and, they did not! HA I think like with any color, it depends on getting the right shade.

Come to think of it, Blue Raspberry is my favorite slushy!

I knew about the beets, but I don't think people really use that method anymore. To make it blood red anyway...

This cake is blue. I mean, the CAKE is blue! I mixed some blueberry icing fruit with my regular WASC recipe. OMG, it was so delicious! I rarely eat the scraps from my sculpted cakes, but, wow! In this case, the cake was pretty weird from the outset, so blue innards wasn't too much of a stretch.
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2717316040053175376ozLMsj

I wonder if any of the following has something to do with decorating with blue.


Of all the colors in the spectrum, blue is an appetite suppressant. Weight loss plans suggest putting your food on a blue plate. Or even better than that, put a blue light in your refrigerator and watch your munchies disappear. Or here's another tip: Dye your food blue! A little black will make it a double whammy.


Blue food is a rare occurrence in nature. There are no leafy blue vegetables (blue lettuce?), no blue meats (blueburger, well-done please), and aside from blueberries and a few blue-purple potatoes from remote spots on the globe, blue just doesn't exist in any significant quantity as a natural food color.

Consequently, we don't have an automatic appetite response to blue. Furthermore, our primal nature avoids food that are poisonous. A million years ago, when our earliest ancestors were foraging for food, blue, purple and black were "color warning signs" of potentially lethal food.