Technique for cutting vegetables and fruits. Photo lessons of carving

Carving in cooking is cutting vegetables and fruits, which is now widely used by chefs of a wide variety of restaurants. Beautifully presented dish important element modern everyday and holiday table, and figured carving of vegetables and fruits is of considerable help in this.

The art of carving fruits and vegetables arose in Far East and over thousands of years it has become part of national traditions. It requires enormous skill, which has been passed down from time immemorial. In different eastern countries, carving is based on different technical techniques, which differ significantly. In some countries, craftsmen work with a wide range of stencils and notches, and only Thai craftsmen have been carving flower arrangements from fruits and vegetables for hundreds of years. They make their decorations using mainly a Thai knife combined with various cutters. Thai carving exudes elegance and artistry.

This art today attracts both amateurs and professionals. For a long time now, culinary exhibitions, food shows, ceremonies and parties have not been complete without decorating them with carved compositions of vegetables and fruits.

This art is thousands of years old. It is passed on from generation to generation. When you look at such compositions, it seems that it is impossible to carve such beauty. But you must always believe in yourself! “If people do this, and not gods, then I can learn to do it,” said Mishina A.V. and did it. And I believed her, and I began to learn this art myself.

Decorating dishes using carving can be very different. Today you have a bouquet of vegetables on your table, and tomorrow you have a whole aquarium.

In general, your family will never tire of being amazed by what they see, and children who refused vegetables, despite all your persuasion, will happily eat whole portions.

I showed you several of my works, don’t judge strictly, because I studied on my own, without teachers or courses.

There is a story on YouTube from our local television about my carving work.
Anyone interested in carving, check out my work.

Carving – “cutting out patterns.” A high-speed descent for skiers with a series of carved turns, long-term styling of curls and curls, patterned carvings on wood, stone, soap, ice, vegetables - all this is included in the concept of “carving”.
We present the most beautiful works of artistic carving of vegetables and fruits.

(12 photos of fruit carvings)

The edible direction of carving (culinary carving) - cutting out marvelous patterned figures from vegetables and fruits - is used today by many chefs to decorate holiday tables.

The intricacy of figures carved from various products brings culinary carving closer to a primitive art form. But such art is very short-lived, because the material here is living and tender material - vegetables and fruits.

History of carving.

This unique art arose in medieval, half-starved, populous Southeast Asia, and not in more prosperous Europe.

Europeans had quite a variety of high-calorie foods at their disposal. The diet of Europeans included meat from domestic animals, fish, poultry, fruits, cereal crops, game, vegetables... The prepared dishes had to be, first of all, nourishing and tasty. Even the tables of the European nobility were not particularly decorated.

But in ancient Asia there was no such variety of products. Often Asians had to be content with predominantly plant foods. An ordinary meal often turned into a whole ritual, and special attention was paid to the design of any product, which gave impetus to the development of the whole art of decorating dishes.

One century replaced another, and the artistic carving of fruits developed its own special national features.
Chinese-Japanese technology is characterized by images of dragons, inscriptions with congratulations, and historical scenes. Sino-Japanese carving comes down to extruding hieroglyphs or figures using a standard set of notches and stencils.

Thai carving masters have a more subtle carving technique and a more complex set of tools. The festive table in Thailand is traditionally decorated with carved flowers, because the symbol of this state is the orchid. To create amazingly graceful flower arrangements Narrow and thin “Thai knives” with a whole arsenal of cutters of different configurations are used.

It is clear that Chinese-Japanese technology is much easier to master. But the work of Thai masters looks much more refined and beautiful.

Carving today.

Interest in carving came to European countries along with a fashionable hobby oriental cuisine. Restaurant chefs have become interested in curly cutting to give table settings an unusual and attractive look.

Food exhibitions and culinary shows have already become a long-standing tradition of decorating with all kinds of fruit carvings. After all, there are no qualitatively new ideas and inventions like carving in modern cooking.

Carving is the art of cutting shapes on fruits, vegetables, chocolate, and cheese. As a matter of fact, in literal translation from English, where the definition itself comes from, carving means “cutting”.

History of carving

As you might guess, the art of figurative carving of fruits and vegetables came to Europe from Asia. But it is still not clear who was the first to discover carving - the Chinese or the Thais.

Although there is a legend: after the Loy Krathong festival in Thailand (the year is not specified, but the approximate period is the 12th century), the king liked the presented bowl with figurines of a bird and a flower carved from vegetables and fruits so much that he wished that every woman could do this. After this, carving spread throughout the East, and decorating tables and dishes in this way became a tradition.

Over time, the art of figured carving on fruits and vegetables began to develop in European countries. But carving has not received the same recognition as in China and Thailand. Most likely, this is due to the fact that in Asian countries fruits predominate, therefore, in order to somehow diversify the table, people resorted to such tricks as carving. In Europe, dishes were much more varied, so they began to decorate the table with carved figures of vegetables and fruits only with the development of the restaurant industry.

Now carving has two main styles: European and Asian. Their differences are:

• choosing fruits and vegetables;
• cutting technique;
• some instruments;
• stories.

Carving knives and other tools

To do a good job, you need to use the proper basic tools. In the carving technique, these are special knives. This is due to the fact that using ordinary ones, you simply will not achieve the desired result. For example, you may not be able to create openwork patterns.

Carving knives:

• pike knife: useful for cutting lace, suitable for large and small products;
• triangular watermelon knife;
• screw knife: used for cutting round spirals of dense vegetables and fruits (for example, potatoes, apples), removing the core and for stuffing;
• knife for wavy cutting;
• knife with a square section: useful for cutting out patterns and various shapes;
• “Wavy Oval” knife: needed to create petals;
• knife " Dovetail": useful for creating triangular-shaped petals;
• zest knife;
• Thai knife: needed to create fine patterns on thick peels.

Additional tools for carving:

• carrot sharpener: helps to make various decorations from carrots (for example, flowers);
• double-sided noisette spoon: helps to cut out spheres of different sizes from vegetables and fruits;
• figured double-sided noisette spoon;
• vegetable peeler;
• culinary tweezers;
• die-cut molds.

Carving tools can be purchased either individually or in sets, which are divided into regular and professional. A regular set contains only 3-4 knives. A professional set consists of several knives and additional tools(usually about 10-15 pieces). The kit also includes a book and DVD with master classes and useful tips.

Carving technique

Asian carvings are complex compositions of exotic vegetables and fruits. The patterns are dominated by hieroglyphs and oriental motifs (for example, dragons and battle scenes). And in the process of carving, craftsmen use many tools, stencils and shapes.

European carving is very beautiful and relatively affordable way The simplest vegetables and fruits are used for it. Intricate patterns and figures are extremely rare.

Carving training

After the revolution of 1932, the art of fruit and vegetable carving lost some of its former popularity in Thailand. Therefore, the authorities decided to conduct training courses, and today carving is taught in schools to children over the age of eleven.

IN European countries There are also special training courses that provide programs for beginners, advanced masters, as well as mini-programs for creating certain patterns. Such courses are not cheap, and their duration takes about seven to eight hours, which are divided into several classes. After training, you will be provided with a certificate of completion of figure cutting classes - kacarving. Reviews from graduates indicate that some became so passionate about this art that they even began to make money from it. After all, figuratively carved vegetables and fruits can be sold.

Mastering the carving technique at home is more difficult, but possible. To do this you need to stock up on tools and educational materials: special literature and videos that contain lessons from real teachers in the carving technique. Master classes from amateurs or without illustrations will not allow you to truly master this technique. This should be taken into account.

Master class: fruit carving for beginners

Beginners in carving can easily make a vase basket from a watermelon.

Sequence of work:

1. Take a watermelon. Wash it thoroughly and dry it.
2. Lightly mark the middle along the entire diameter with the tip of a knife.
3. Make a template of one pen link on construction paper.
4. Attach the template to the wall of the watermelon, perpendicular to the drawn middle, using tape.
5. Trace the template with the tip of a knife.
6. Move the template above and transfer it to the watermelon. Draw the entire handle of the basket in this way.
7. Carefully cut off the watermelon parts on the sides of the handle (you get two quarters), but do not touch the pulp underneath.
8. Cut through the middle of the links on the handle.
9. Using a spoon, scrape the pulp out of the space under the handle, leaving about two centimeters on the handle itself.
10. Make curly edges on the watermelon half, which serves as a basket.
11. Use a spoon to remove the pulp from half the watermelon, leaving about two centimeters on the sides.
12. Fill the finished watermelon basket with small berries: grapes, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, cherries.

The edible basket is ready!

1. You need to use only fresh and smooth vegetables and fruits. They should also be well washed and dry.
2. The cut out decorations should match the color and taste of the main dishes.
3. All tools must be well sharpened.
4. Place finished fruit works (except melon and watermelon) in cold water for ten minutes.

The world of modern cooking is full of innovation. In the era of accessibility various cuisines world, it is becoming quite difficult to surprise sophisticated gourmets. But what if, in addition to the taste of food, you could be amazed by the amazing appearance?! You can surprise, create edible masterpieces, and give the usual forms of products unimaginable shapes with the help of carving vegetables and fruits.

History of carving

It's no secret that everything ingenious is simple. This is how one can characterize the amazing art of carving, which arose many thousands of years ago in the vastness of the eastern lands of Asia.
Carving owes its appearance to attempts to somehow diversify the meager diet, which has always been in short supply among the poor residents of East Asia. However, in contrast, they had an abundance of intelligence and ingenuity, which allowed carving to be born. There is one legend according to which one day a rich gentleman came to visit a poor family. He demanded to set the table, but the hostess had nothing in stock except a few fruits and vegetables. Fearing the master's anger, the hostess decided to deceive him. She created strange birds and animals from fruits and vegetables, which amazed the rich gentleman so much that he did not dare try these creations - they were so beautiful. Since then, all residents of the country, as well as nearby ones, began to decorate their tables, creating incredible compositions from simple products.
Modern carving of vegetables and fruits is still one of the most interesting arts Asian countries. However, it is worth noting that his techniques have made significant progress. If previously it was not even in service good knife, then today the field of possibilities is expanding, thanks to modern instruments. However, many masters adhere to the classics - they try to follow ancient methods, avoiding newfangled devices.

Is it possible to do carving at home?

The answer to this question is of course yes! Not only possible, but absolutely necessary! This art will allow you to incredibly diversify your long-familiar home-cooked food. It is generally accepted in the world that carving is a matter of creativity, and has no special relationship to the world of food as such. However, we dare to resist such speculation. Thanks to carving, food can be not only tasty and healthy, but also beautiful. An example would be the classic dish - mashed potatoes with cutlets. Speaking of composition, it’s quite difficult to add flavor to this dish. The inability to create shapes, as well as the consistency unsuitable for design, keep the dish within certain limits. However, it can be added brightness and novelty by decorating it with vegetables, which take on their new forms using the carving technique. Having learned all the subtleties of art, you will be surprised by all the facets that will open before you.

Modern types of carving

Nowadays, the current carving of vegetables and fruits is usually divided into several directions. These include:

• Chinese
• Japanese
• Thai
• European

1) Chinese carving represents amazing world, where food is transformed using stencils. Although in Chinese carving it is also customary to create compositions using a knife, the stencil still takes the place of the classics.
The difference between this direction is the choice in favor of vegetables. The only exceptions are watermelon and melon. The explanation is very logical - the art of stencil carving requires a larger area than other subtypes. In addition, the creation of stencil carving implies maximum surface rigidity, which most fruits cannot boast of.

2) Japanese carving from vegetables and fruits - a real immersion in history. Having absorbed the best traditions of their brother (China and its carving techniques), the Japanese decided to introduce a feature. She began the traditional carving of hieroglyphs, as well as the creation of complex paintings based on martial arts. The apple and watermelon have become classic objects for Japanese technology.

3) European type of carving– a combination of the traditions of the East with the classics of the North. This type stands out in a special direction, since Europe, unlike Asian countries, is much richer in terms of products. European style techniques are distinguished by their brevity and focus on geometry. The flight of oriental fantasy in this genre is not so pronounced. The emphasis is on ease of further use.

4) Thai carving of vegetables and fruits– the quintessence of this art. It is the Thai version that has gained wide popularity around the world. The reasons for this phenomenon are simple - the Thais create the most complex compositions. In their work they strive for perfection, since for them carving vegetables and fruits is not just an art, but a real lifestyle.
It should be noted that the majority famous schools and even carving academies focus their attention on the Thai version.

There are several reasons for this:

• in the Thai version there are many techniques that are available to beginners;
• there are no restrictions on art - the creator can turn off the control of fantasy and create his own masterpieces;
• combinatoriality, which is expressed in the possibility of combining different techniques;
• no need to purchase a wide range of equipment to create compositions.

Based on this, for the purposes of our lesson, it would be wise to focus on the Thai method.

Tools for creating masterpieces

Now it is necessary to cover in more detail the basic tools that you will need to master the art of carving. There are a huge number of variations among them, but the main ones are:

TO additional elements that you may need in the process of improving your practice include:

However, this list is far from complete. The popularity of carving has led to constant developments in the field, often resulting in new tools.

The basis of mastery, or the secrets of professionals

In order for your first experience to be as productive as possible, it is worth paying attention to the developments of famous carving masters.
The main postulates that will allow you to successfully begin to improve in your chosen field include the following points:

The main thing in carving is practice. Over time, you will be able to learn how to correctly calculate the force of pressure on the knife, as well as the angle of its direction.
Additionally, masters note that imagination plays a huge role in carving. Even if something didn’t work out for you, look at your creation from a different angle - perhaps your small flaw or small mistake allowed the birth of a new technique.

From theory to practice: carving for beginners

Now that the basics of this art have become clear to you, it’s time to try out the acquired knowledge in practice. In order to achieve best result, the complexity of the work should be gradually increased. Through such gradation, you will develop skills that will make any element available to you for production in the future.
First of all, we choose the object of creation. Experts advise starting with the following candidates:

• cucumber;
• carrot;
• apple

They have earned such trust due to their qualities - their dense consistency allows you to obtain the necessary skill with minimal loss of quality.
So, let's see what masterpieces a beginner in the carving theme can make.

1. Cucumber flower

You need to take one thick, long cucumber. We cut the middle into halves (you need 2-3 pieces), and we will use the edge with the “tail” to add color to the composition and create a flower.

We make six cuts in the flower part, not reaching two cm to the tail (use a long knife).

We cut the resulting blank along the edges to create the outlines of the petals, as in the photo (use a Thai knife).

Remove the core of the cucumber (if not special knife, can be carefully done with a spoon). Next, we make the cloves with a Thai knife.

Now use a Thai knife to carefully separate the skin from the pulp. To top it off, make small triangular windows at the base.

Place the workpiece in ice water- this way you will be able to straighten the future petals.

Make a round core from the cucumber pulp, which must be decorated with an ornament and placed inside the flower.

We cut the cucumber without reaching the base, as shown in the photo (7 layers each).

We divide the plates into 7 pieces.

We make bends of each even plate (in one direction);

Let's put everything together and enjoy the creation of our hands!

2. Carrot cloves

It is necessary to cut the carrots according to the proportions shown in the photo.

On the long part, using a Thai knife, you need to cut grooves. Their number can be unlimited, but you shouldn’t make them too small.

Next, cut the resulting part with grooves so that you get thin flowers.

The remaining part needs to be corrected - cut its edges so that it takes a cone-shaped shape.

On the wide side, using a Thai knife, you need to create a kind of mesh.

Create pockets for the finished petals using shallow longitudinal cuts.

Place the petal blanks in the cut pockets.

The cloves are ready.

For beauty, you can decorate the core with dried cloves or something else.

3. Apple flower

Arm yourself with a hard apple and a Thai knife.

Cut 1/4 off the side where the apple has its tail.

Carefully, without reaching the end, separate the peel from thin layer pulp from the core. It is also necessary to make 13 cuts - they will serve as blanks for the petals.

Using the marks, make triangular cuts, creating petals on the apple.

Now you need to repeat 13 marks and cut the petals from the apple pulp in the same way.
Important! The petals of the second level should be between the petals of the first level.

The procedure should be repeated with another row of pulp.

Next, create the last row of petals. You should remove the seeds from the middle and fill it with something of your choice. Something brighter would look good.

Thus, carving vegetables and fruits is an amazing activity. It preserves the traditions of the ancient East, while simultaneously combining them with new technologies. Allows you to turn food into works of art that give us not only satiation with food, but also aesthetic pleasure.

By trying your hand at carving, you will be able to diversify your home-cooked food, as well as surprise your family and guests with your extraordinary approach to creating dishes.

The aesthetics of dishes plays as big a role as their taste. That is why table decoration with carved figures of vegetables and fruits is used by chefs all over the world. The technique with which real works of art are made from products is called carving. Essentially, this is a primitive form of engraving that anyone can learn.

The history of carving began many centuries ago, when Asians tried to embellish their meager diet, rich mainly in plant-based dishes. Carving of vegetables and fruits to Europe

came not so long ago, but, noticing how elegant and unusual it was becoming festive table, many chefs began to actively study this art.

In addition to restaurant carving, there is a home direction in which housewives independently prepare everyday or holiday meals. In our article we will teach you how to make basic decorations from fruits and vegetables.

Carving tools

Creating vegetable and fruit decorations requires patience and some skill, so be prepared that not everything will work out the first time. However, if you decide to seriously study carving in practice, stock up on a set of special tools:

• Thai knife (the most important element of the set);
• knives with different triangular sections;
• oval knives;
• a noisette spoon, with which hemispheres and balls are cut out;
• long knife for initial processing of large fruits;
• knife for working with watermelon and pumpkin;
• carving groove knife;
• scissors.

To make simple jewelry you can get by with 2-3 kitchen knives With different lengths and the width of the blades, as well as scissors.

Carving of vegetables and fruits: step-by-step photos for beginners

Let's start with the most basic vegetable decorations and tell you step by step how to make them chrysanthemum from Chinese cabbage. The work steps are as follows:

1. Buy a head of Chinese cabbage weighing 300-700 grams.
2. Remove upper leaves and cut off the loose part of the cabbage head, leaving a piece about 150 mm long to work with.
3. Take a knife with a triangular or oval cross-section and make cuts along the thick white veins of the leaves (when making a cut, make sure that its beginning is thin, and when approaching the stalk, deeper).
4. Leave the tip of the stalk uncut by about 20 mm.
5. Now it’s time to remove the large cut leaves (that is, you leave the white dense core of the leaf and remove the unnecessary part).
6. The chrysanthemum should consist of many rows, which are made inside the stalk in a similar way.
7. Try to keep the tips of the cut petals thin: then when interacting with cold water they can easily bend or curl into rings.

The finished “flower” must be placed in a container with cool water for 30 minutes so that the petals take on an elegant shape. The product is ready! All that remains is to put the chrysanthemum on a dish and decorate with greens.

cucumber flower

Few people will believe that out of the ordinary fresh cucumber You can carve a stunning lily, but we will prove that it is possible! Stock up on a pair of standard carving knives and get started:

1. Trim the very tip of the cucumber and leave an 8 cm long piece of the vegetable to work with.
2. By using flat knife cut the peel in the form of a petal, not going to the edge.
3. Similarly, cut out the other petals in a circle, maintaining equal distances between them.
4. Using an oval knife, make the next circle of petals (inner), keeping chess order(make as many circles of petals as the size of the workpiece allows).
5. Using a knife, carefully remove the core of the cucumber.
6. Take scissors and shape the tip of each petal into a triangular shape.
7. Dip the flower in ice water to open the petals beautifully.
8. Now we make a core from carrots or radishes, adding decorative cuts to it.
9. Carefully place the core on a toothpick and insert it into the center of the flower.

You can also use cucumber peel as leaves for the lily. You will see: your family will be shocked by the extraordinary creative abilities of your mother-cook, and your children will begin to eat vegetables and fruits without whims, because it is much more interesting to eat a cabbage flower than standard chopped foods. We have mastered the simplest carving from a cucumber, and now we will look at what can be done from a carrot.

Carrot carving

Carrots are famous for their beneficial properties, but many children refuse it. Making a beautiful vegetable bright flower, you will interest your child and surprise your family. So, take a Thai knife and a medium-sized carrot for work. If you don’t have a special knife, feel free to take an ordinary kitchen knife, but be sure to have a sharp and thin blade.

Cut a round shape up to 4 cm in diameter from the carrot, which will be the core of the flower, and make a mesh-shaped pattern on it. In the remaining cylindrical part, cut grooves in a circle, trying to maintain equal intervals. From the blank with beards, cut thin rings with grooved edges that will act as petals.

Make deep slits on all sides of the core in its lower part, following a checkerboard pattern. Insert the petals, trimming them if necessary. The carrot flower is ready, all that remains is to decorate it with green petals from cucumber peel.

Watermelon basket

You can beautifully serve fruit on the table using a basket cut from watermelon or melon. To do this, first draw a line in the center of the watermelon, which will be considered the beginning of the base of the basket. Then you need to cut out a template from paper for the future pen.

To beautifully cut a lemon or orange, make grooves in the peel with a knife, and then cut the fruit into thin rings. Citrus fruits are also cut in the center in the form of a crown, as a result of which from one fruit we get 2 flowers with sharp teeth. The remaining pieces of zest can not be thrown away, but used to prepare a healing decoction for.

Apple carving

Take a large, hard apple and cut off the top of it in the form of a lid. Then, with a thin knife, draw a rim inside the pulp, stepping back 5-7 mm from the edge, and cut the peel into large teeth. The base of the flower is ready. In the same way, you need to cut out the petals in the middle of the apple, but do not forget that it is important to adhere to the checkerboard order.

On average, a large fruit produces a flower with 4 rows of petals made from apple pulp. As a rule, when making decorative figures from fruits, there are leftovers that are a pity to throw away. For example, an apple can be ground and used as a face mask.

Advice: since the apple quickly oxidizes and loses its pulp marketable condition, cut out the decor just before serving!

Carving is an art for dreamers. With its help, you can unforgettably decorate tables for children's parties by creating hedgehogs from pears, and butterflies from kiwis or apples. Together with your child, you can put a palm tree out of bananas and kiwi directly on a plate, or make a ship out of melon. Try, experiment, and bon appetit!

Carving of vegetables and fruits: video for beginners

Apple star

Carrot rose

Watermelon rose