Jason & April Ruggles

Food Friday: Make it Pretty

Posted on 11. Dec, 2009 by April in food, Thai Culture, Thailand

If you’ve eaten much Thai cuisine, you may have encountered vegetables carved to look like other things. I remember carrots carved as flowers at Thai restaurants in the States. But that little flower was really only scratching the surface. Fruit and vegetable carving is considered one of the traditional Thai crafts, originating in the 1300′s.

At our basic meals, we don’t see anything like this. But occasionally a nice restaurant will feature a small carved garnish. The lavish displays are saved for weddings, offerings, royal functions, and other special events. We had the opportunity to see it being done at a Thai Cultural Village. It’s truly amazing the detailed designs they can create from food! It’s also amazing the amount of time that goes into a garnish. About the fanciest I get is lining up cucumber slices in a circle

Tomato, Cucumber and Carrot Flowers

Squash Flowers

Beet Flowers

Decorative Squash and Onion Flower

From the Web- An Example of Amazing Watermelon Carving

How do you make food look pretty?

Tags: food, friday