Introduction Thai Carving

The purpose of fruit and vegetable carving is to make food more attractive, more appetizing, and also easier to eat. The accomplished homemaker welcomes her guests with fruit carefully pared, seeded, and perhaps cut into bite-size slices depending on the type. Vegetables are first delicately carved, then cooked, and finally arranged attractively to decorate the dish which they are part of. Needless to say, guests are greatly pleased to be honored with such a gracious welcome, displaying as it does the good feelings and willing hospitality of the maker.

Decorating fresh, well-formed, and colorful fruits and vegetables through artistic carving is by no means difficult; all it takes is concentration. Starting out, there is no need for special carving knives; one sharp-pointed knife is enough to carve fruits and vegetables beautifully. The knife, however, must be sharp at all times, and so you should always have a small whetstone nearby.

1. Before carving, fruits and vegetables must be washed and cleaned thoroughly.

2. Use knives with stainless steel or bronze blades. Knives with ordinary steel blades will cause discoloration of fruits and vegetables.

3. Do not carve excessively so as to avoid waste and loss of nutritional value.

4. The designs carved should be appropriate for decorating a plate of food; thus, floral patterns are suitable, while figures of animals such as rats are not.

5. Vegetables to be dipped into sauces should be cut to appropriate sizes.

6. Vegetables chosen for carving should be appropriate to the dish in which they are to be used, and they should be vegetables which are resistant to wilting, such as carrots and Chinese radishes.

7. Care must be exercised during carving so as to avoid bruising fruit and vegetables.

Tips on selecting fruits and vegetables for carving

Each kind of fruit and vegetable has its own unique characteristics, so keep these pointers in mind when choosing fruits and vegetables to carve.

Specific preparations and treatments

1. Tomatoes should be soaked in a mixture of lime juice and water to prevent browning.

2. Shallots and onions should be soaked in water before being peeled and carved to reduce irritation of the eyes.

3. Taro should be washed thoroughly before being peeled. If washed after peeling, a slime is released which causes itching.

4. Carrots should not be soaked in water before carving as this will make the flesh tougher and more difficult to carve.

5. Beets should be washed in water to which a little salt has been added. This will reduce loss of color. Also, if left standing, beets will blacken, so they should be kept moist by spraying them with water regularly.

6. Potatoes should be washed with water after peeling to remove the sap and then washed again after carving. This will help prevent browning.

7. Apples should be soaked in mixture of lime juice and water before being peeled to prevent browning.

8. Cantaloupes should be washed before carving. While carving, avoid letting water come into contact with the fruit because it will lose its taste and spoil more quickly.

9. Yam bean tubers should be soaked too long after carving, will yellow.

Storing carved fruits and vegetables

1. After carving, fruits and vegetables should be placed in ice cold water so the petals of flower designs are firm and spread beautifully.

2. Carved fruits and vegetables should not be left in water as this will cause petals to become discolored and to spoil.

3. Each type of carved fruit should be kept separately. This will prevent loss of all your work in the event that one type spoils.

4. Store carved fruits and vegetables by putting them in containers and placing in a refrigerator, or if no refrigerator is available, by covering them with a damp piece of thin white cloth and putting them in a place protected from drafts so they do not dry and wilt.

5. After carving, pumpkin should be dipped in water and removed right away. If left in water, flower petal designs will become bruised.