Intaglio di frutta e verdura dalla Tailandia - Thai fruit and vegetable carving

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Here is what I did during the weekend... a fruit and vegetable carving course. It was great, I had a lot of fun and you can see the result in the picture above... The teacher was a lady from Thailand that learnt this art from her mom, who learnt it from her mom and her mom...
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Fruit and vegetable carving comes from Thailand, where it is a traditional and highly cultivated art. Not only is the taste and aroma of a dish important but also its visual appeal. In Thailand food presentation has been elevated to the status of an art, which can require years of study and practice.

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The picture above shows the two roses made from an orange and a tomato skin... this was the first thing we learnt to do.

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In the picture below you can see some carrots that have become beautiful leaves... our first carving job. Then you can see a flower made of cucumber and tomatoes and my favorite... a flower made out of a pepper.
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Pumpkins, melons, pineapples, and papayas are carved into traditional Thai designs and hallowed out to become containers for fruit salads, hot dishes and sauces. Thais artfully fold banana leaves into baskets, cups and platters. Vegetables are carved into flowers, leaves and even fish and crab shapes and eaten both raw and cooked.
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The carving of fruits and vegetables was originally for the exclusive enjoyment of the Siamese King's court. The Thai people are very artistic and have a deep appreciation for beauty and ornamentation as evidenced by the elaborate costumes of classical Thai dancers and the intricate adornment of Thai temples (wats).
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Today the Royal Thai cuisine has become world famous. Traditional Thai society highly valued the art of food presentation and the mastering of it was considered to be the mark of a true aristocratic lady in ancient times. The Siamese Grand Palace was a sort of finishing school for well-born women teaching classical cooking, flower arranging, making fresh flower garlands, banana leave folding, classical dancing, dress making, perfume brewing, betal chew arrangement, cigarette rolling and fruit carving. Carving reached its zenith during the Bangkok reign of King Rama II (1809 - 1824).
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The highest of these palatial arts and crafts was considered to be the carving of fruits and vegetables, where ordinary produce such as cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelons, tomatoes and onions were transformed into miniature animals, birds, life-size flowers and serving containers. Traditional Thai boats, classical figures from Thai mythology, heroic statuary from the Ramayana epic are inspiration for carving not only with fruits and vegetables but also in ice and butter. Carvings like this can still be seen at four star hotels and carving competitions in Thailand.
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Fortunately for mere mortals, after the 1931 political revolution in Thailand, all the arts and sciences of royal cuisine were passed onto commoners through the school system.

I will continue to discover this beautiful art and take more courses next autumn.