In this Food Corner article I am going to tell you about the art of vegetables and fruits carving here in Thailand.

Vegetables and fruits carving is beautiful, elaborate and delicate hand invention that reflects traditional Thai culture and lifestyle. People here in Thailand love to decorate the dishes with fruits and vegetables. After all, with these decorations the dishes will look wonderful and eatable.

What are the principles in fruits and vegetables carving?

1. Choose always fresh products and try to find those that are in season to save your expense.
2. Use sharp, small and pointed-tip knife that fits your hand and feels light.
3. While carving the carving pattern should be suitable for the purpose and situation. For example leaves and flowers are suited for the served food but the entire carved pieces are for decorating a table.
4. If you carve for the dip, food should be proper size for eating.
5. Remember to carve carefully to prevent fruits and vegetables getting a bruise.

How to choose proper fruits and vegetables for carving?

All the fruits and vegetables are unique and here are some tips how to select each type of fruits and vegetables.

• Ginger: Select young one which has the shape similar to the carving pattern.

• Cucumber: Use a heavy and fresh one with watery and smooth skin. Color can be either light or dark green.

• Carrot: Look the one with straight shape and fresh smooth skin, use size proper to the purpose. Older carrots have lot of splinter so always use fresh one for the best results.

• Garlic: Use solid and fresh with cloves not withered and without fungus. Select garlic with not too big cloves with straight stem.

• Pumpkin: Choose mature pumpkin with thick and gummy flesh. Skin should be uneven and thick.

• Papaya: The best for carving is Kak-dam breed since it has wonderful color, straight shape and thick flesh. Look for the one that is partly matured as the knife works best with this one.

Techniques for carving

When carving lotus from cucumber use top part of the cucumber instead of the tip's as the top part has thicker flesh. You may also use Japanese cucumber. While carving do not soak them in water since the flesh will be tough. You can cover them with water as it helps you to trim the petals easily.

With carrots remember not to soak them before carving as the flesh becomes tough. After carving soak the carrots in very cold water to maintain their color and to strengthen carved petals.

You should select single clove garlic's for carving and after carving soak them in water to keep them fresh.

All the carved vegetables and fruits should be washed with very cold (icy) water before placing them on the dishes. In case you do not use them immediately, you can place them in refrigerator. In case you cannot keep them in refrigerator, cover them with damp chiffon and keep them in a normal room temperature.

Pieces that are simmered in syrup such as breadfruit, taro and pumpkin you should carve the petals a bit thicker and bigger sot that the petals will stay strong and do not break easily. Before simmering these, do soak them in limewater. Lime gives them a great deal of color protection against the sugar in syrup.

Always use cutting board when cutting lines in leafs.

Before you decorate the dishes with carved vegetables and fruits, you should consider whether the type of food and the ingredients can be together.

How to preserve you carved fruits and vegetables?

Before and after carving you should not soak them in water. Soaking makes the fruits and vegetables rotten and bruised. Remember to keep always each kind of fruits and vegetables separately. Keep the fruits and vegetables in a container with a lid and then place them in refrigerator. Without refrigerator cover them with damp chiffon and keep them in a normal room temperature.

Next time let us take a look at fruit and vegetable preservation and how to carve step by step different types of fruits and vegetables. Just remember as food carving is a form of art, it takes concentration, patience and great deal of practice to develop the skill.

See you next time in Food Corner with some wonderful and tasty carvings!

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