Vegetable carving is the art of carving vegetables into other objects, such as flowers and birds.
Vegetable carving is the art of carving vegetables into other objects, such as flowers and birds.
The origins of vegetable carving are disputed: it may have begun in ancient Japan; in Sukothai, Thailand; or in the time of the Tang dynasty (AD 618–906) or Song dynasty (AD 960–1279) in China.
Japan may have been the root of the art of fruit and vegetable carving, called Mukimono in Japanese. According to the book Japanese Garnishes: The Ancient Art of Mukimono, by Yukiko and Bob Haydok, Mukimono began in ancient times when food was served on unglazed clay pottery. These rough platters were covered with a leaf before food was plated. Artistic chefs realized that cutting or folding the leaf in different ways created a more attractive presentation. Mukimono did not become popular until the 16th century, the Edo period, when it gained official recognition. At that time, street artists created clever garnishes upon request. From these beginnings, the art developed into an important part of every Japanese chef's training.
Vegetable and fruit carving may have originated in Thailand during the Loi Krathong festival in the 14th century. During Loi Krathong, rafts are decorated with many objects, including banana leaves and flowers. In 1364, one of King Phra Ruang's servants, Nang Noppamart, wanted to create a unique decoration for her raft. Nang carved a flower from a vegetable, using a real flower as a pattern. She carved a bird as well and set it beside the flower. Using these carvings, she created a raft that stood out above the rest. King Phra Ruang was impressed by the grace and beauty of the carving and decreed that every woman should learn this new art. In central Thailand, people used banana stalks to decorate biers. Artists carved the stalks in an art form called Thaeng yuak.
As the centuries passed, enthusiasm for vegetable carving waxed and waned. King Rama II loved vegetable carving so much that he wrote poetry about it in 1808. However, during the Siamese revolution of 1932, appreciation for vegetable carving died down. To revive interest, it is taught to students in Thailand, from those as young as 11 in primary school to those in secondary school. Optional courses are also offered in universities throughout Thailand. [1]
Regardless of its origins, vegetable carving is flaunted in many Asian restaurants, cruises, hotels, and other places. In the mid-20th century, the art of vegetable carving began to grow outside Asia. Other cultures gradually began to appreciate the beauty associated with the practice. Today, vegetable carving occurs throughout the world.
The products of vegetable carving are generally flowers and birds; however, many other shapes are possible. Carving techniques vary. Some carvings present much artistic detail, while others have simple yet beautiful shapes. Carved vegetables are generally used as garnishes but can also be arranged into bouquets.
Teochew cuisine, also known as Chiuchow cuisine, Chaozhou cuisine or Teo-swa cuisine, originated from the Chaoshan region in the eastern part of China's Guangdong Province, which includes the cities of Chaozhou, Shantou and Jieyang. Teochew cuisine bears more similarities to that of Fujian cuisine, particularly Southern Min cuisine, due to the similarity of Teochew's and Fujian's culture, language, and their geographic proximity to each other. However, Teochew cuisine is also influenced by Cantonese cuisine in its style and technique.
Thai cuisine is the national cuisine of Thailand.
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Musa. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing them from dessert bananas. The fruit is variable in size, color and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved, with soft flesh rich in starch covered with a peel, which may have a variety of colors when ripe. It grows upward in clusters near the top of the plant. Almost all modern edible seedless (parthenocarp) cultivated bananas come from two wild species – Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana, or hybrids of them.
Lao art involves the myriad of forms creative, cultural expression originating from Laos. This includes both ancient artifacts and recent productions. Laotian Art often features Buddhist themes and includes such material forms as textiles, wood-carving and basket-weaving. Lao art is well known for its wealth of ornamentation
Tak is one of Thailand's seventy-seven provinces (changwat) and lies in lower northern Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Sukhothai, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani and Kanchanaburi. The western edge of the province has a long boundary with Kayin State of Myanmar (Burma).
The zucchini, courgette or baby marrow is a summer squash, a vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and epicarp (rind) are still soft and edible. It is closely related, but not identical, to the marrow; its fruit may be called marrow when mature.
The culture of Thailand is a unique blend of various influences that have evolved over time. Local customs, animist beliefs, Buddhist traditions, and regional ethnic and cultural practices have all played a role in shaping Thai culture. Thainess, which refers to the distinctive qualities that define the national identity of Thailand, is evident in the country's history, customs, and traditions. While Buddhism remains the dominant religion in Thailand with more than 40,000 temples, Islam, Christianity, and other faiths are also practiced.
Loy Krathong is a Thai festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand and in nearby countries with significant South Western Tai cultures. The name could be translated as "to float ritual vessel or lamp," and comes from the tradition of making krathong or buoyant, decorated baskets, which are then floated on a river. Many Thais use the krathong to thank the Goddess of Water and River, Goddess Khongkha This festival traces its origin back to India.
A kitchen knife is any knife that is intended to be used in food preparation. While much of this work can be accomplished with a few general-purpose knives — notably a large chef's knife and a smaller serrated blade utility knife — there are also many specialized knives that are designed for specific tasks such as a tough cleaver, a small paring knife, and a bread knife. Kitchen knives can be made from several different materials, though the commonest is a hardened steel blade with a wooden handle.
A garnish is an item or substance used as a decoration or embellishment accompanying a prepared food dish or drink. In many cases, it may give added or contrasting flavor. Some garnishes are selected mainly to augment the visual impact of the plate, while others are selected specifically for the flavor they may impart. This is in contrast to a condiment, a prepared sauce added to another food item primarily for its flavor. A food item which is served with garnish may be described as being garni, the French term for "garnished."
Mukimono (剥き物) is the traditional Japanese art of decorative garnishing. Examples of this include carving traditional images into skins of fruits and vegetables, as well as carving vegetables into attractive shapes such as flowers, twists, and fan shapes. These are commonly served as a garnish on the same plate as the meal, or on a small side plate. Carving is done using a kitchen knife. Mukimono is different from Thai fruit carving, which uses a sharp thin knife specifically designed for this purpose.
The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrapping, and food-serving in a wide range of cuisines in tropical and subtropical areas. They are used for decorative and symbolic purposes in numerous Hindu and Buddhist ceremonies. In traditional home building in tropical areas, roofs and fences are made with dry banana-leaf thatch. Bananas and palm leaves were historically the primary writing surfaces in many nations of South and Southeast Asia.
The Si Satchanalai Historical Park is a historical park in Si Satchanalai district, Sukhothai Province, northern Thailand. The park covers the ruins of Si Satchanalai and Chaliang. Si Satchanalai, which literally means "City of good people", was founded in 1250 as the second center of the Sukhothai Kingdom and as a residence of the crown prince in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Food presentation is the art of modifying, processing, arranging, or decorating food to enhance its aesthetic appeal.
Chueang is the legendary hero of the Dai people who ruled as first king of the Lü Kingdom establishing a capital at Jinghong.
Thai fruit carving is a traditional Thai art that requires neatness, precision, meditation, and personal ability. Fruit carving persisted in Thailand as a respected art for centuries. It was originally used only to decorate the tables of the royal family. Fruit carving is a popular custom practiced during Songkran.
Fruit carving is the art of carving fruit, a very common technique in Europe and Asian countries, and particularly popular in Thailand, China and Japan. There are many fruits that can be used in this process; the most popular one that artists use are watermelons, apples, strawberries, pineapples, and cantaloupes.
Thai banana stalk carving or thaeng yuak is the Thai local art of carving the banana stalk for temporary decoration in funerals and cultural events such as religious ceremonies and ordination ceremonies. It is categorized as the fresh material carving section in the main 10 Thai art skills (ช่างสิบหมู่) although the population of thaeng yuak artists is very low compared to other art skills sections.
Kian Un Keng Shrine or spelled Kuan An Keng Shrine, known internationally as Guanyin Shrine (ศาลเจ้าแม่กวนอิม), is an ancient Chinese joss house in Bangkok, located on the western bank of Chao Phraya River, Wat Kanlaya Subdistrict, Thon Buri District, Thonburi side in the area of Kudi Chin community close to other places of worship including Wat Prayurawongsawat, Wat Kalayanamitr and Santa Cruz Church with Bang Luang Mosque.
Takehiro Kishimoto is a Japanese chef and mukimono food carver. He also practices the Thai methods of fruit and vegetable carving. He works and lives in Kobe, Japan.
