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This Italian chef makes miniature worlds out of pastry

The Local Italy
The Local Italy - [email protected]
This Italian chef makes miniature worlds out of pastry
Photo: Matteo Strucchi/I dolci di Gulliver

Imagine a world made of pastry... chocolate rivers, gingerbread houses and buildings made of dough.

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That's exactly what Italian pastry chef Matteo Strucchi, 23, did.

Strucchi has been working as a pastry chef in Lecco, northern Italy, for two years, but since this summer, he's also been working on a passion project: a food photography account on Instagram which transforms his delicious desserts into a landscape for tiny people

The account, I Dolci di Gulliver, takes its name from the book Gulliver's Travels which sees an ordinary man travel to Lilliput, a nation of miniature people. Using models of people and vehicle, Strucchi creates scenes showing the people of Lilliput living in a world of pastry.

From sailing down a chocolate river to building complex desserts using trucks and cranes, Strucchi's characters have clearly captured people's imagination, and the account now boasts over 67,000 followers.

"I wanted to present my desserts differently from others," he told The Local. "There are lots of artists who create miniatures using food, but I focus on desserts. I try to use my imagination as much as possible in order to surprise people."

As for how he comes up with the unique ideas, Strucchi says he first focuses on making a beautiful pastry, and then tries to look at it from a new perspective. "Then, I think about how I can make my characters interact with it," he explained.

See some of his creations below.

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Aug 6, 2016 at 11:35pm PDT

"The brownies wouldn't be complete without the nut topping, carefully chopped by my little helpers!"

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Sep 5, 2016 at 11:26pm PDT

The photographs show classic desserts from a new perspective, like these delicious profiteroles.

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Sep 22, 2016 at 11:19pm PDT

This peach tree was created to celebrate the Italian harvest season

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Oct 10, 2016 at 11:08pm PDT

"Today, there's a fishing competition in Lilliput!" said Strucchi; the Italian 'gara di pesca' is a play on words as 'pesca' is both a conjugation of 'pescare' (to fish) and the noun 'peach'.

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Oct 27, 2016 at 11:03pm PDT

"Even monsters have to take care of their hands," Strucchi commented on this Halloween special.

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Nov 4, 2016 at 12:00am PDT

Have you ever seen such a sweet wedding ceremony?

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Nov 17, 2016 at 11:00pm PST

The people of Lilliput help Strucchi to prepare some biscuit dough.

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Oct 6, 2016 at 11:15pm PDT

A delicious fairground set up in Lilliput.

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Oct 17, 2016 at 10:57pm PDT

Strucchi and his little helpers take on the tricky Italian dessert, tiramisu.

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Sep 29, 2016 at 11:13pm PDT

If all weight-lifting was done with macarons, maybe we'd be more tempted to go to the gym...

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Sep 12, 2016 at 11:26pm PDT

Observing pastry swans in their natural habitat.

 

A photo posted by Matteo Stucchi (@idolcidigulliver) on Aug 8, 2016 at 10:11pm PDT

The tiny adventurers ascend Mount Muffin.

 

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