Description
A piping bag is generally conical or triangular in shape, made of cloth, paper or plastic. It is held by hand and used to pipe semi-solid foods by pressing them through a narrow opening at one end, for many purposes including cake decoration. It is filled through a wider opening at the opposite end, rolled or twisted to close, and then squeezed to extrude its contents.Though a circular nozzle is quite useful for making round shapes and for filling pastries,sometimes differently-shaped nozzles are used to produce star, leaf and flower-petal shapes.Aside from icing, piping bags are commonly used to shape meringue and whipped cream, and to fill doughnuts with jelly or custard. They are used to form cream puffs, éclairs, and ladyfingers. When presentation is especially important, fluted tips can be used to shape savory foods such as filling for deviled eggs, whipped butter and mashed potatoes.
High-quality piping bags are usually made of tightly-woven nylon, polyester, rubber or waterproofed cotton. Medium-quality bags are similar, except they are not so tightly-woven and may let some contents seep through the weave or the seams. After use, a reusable bag is washed by hand and hung open to dry. A high-quality bag may last for many years.

How to Select
When buying, check for any damage in the readymade piping bags. You can also make them at home using butter paper or baking paper. Just cut them in a triangular shape, roll into a cone, fit the desired nozzle on one end, fill the mixture and finally seal the other end.

Culinary Uses
• Icing on cakes and pastries
• Filling whipped creams, rolls, doughnuts etc.
• Garnishing to make foods more appealing

How to Store
Store the piping bags in a cool dry place, keeping them protected from humidity and dust.