Watermelon and fruit carvings




 

Thai cuisine involves the balancing of contrasting flavours, spicy and subtle, sweet and sharp. It is also concerned with aesthetic vaiues for the Thais believe that food should please the eye as well as the palate.

One particularly delightful aspect of Thai cuisine and the reflection of a more leisured age is the art of carving fruit and vegetables. This is a traditional craft which is still popular.

In the fruit carver's skilled hands and using a small and very sharp pointed knife, an ordinary papaya or pumpkin is turned into a bouquet of flowers, a radish becomes a tiny rabbit or daisy or a carrot a rare orchid. Almost any kind of fruit or vegetable can be used. The carver must understand the texture of each and use its natural colour to imitate that of the chosen subject. Not all the carvings are as small as a flower; a large round watermelon becomes a richly decorated and lidded bowl to be used as a container for fruit salad. The green outer skin is cut away to make a pattern in relief of flowers or even characters in Thai literature.

Why should someone bother to transform a pumpkin into a magic coach or a beetroot into a butterfly? The answer is the Thai appreciation of beauty and craftsmanship, whatever the medium.  

Carve a Watermelon to make it the centerpiece attraction!

First, make sure that your watermelon is at room temperature. It will be much easier for you to carve the melon and it won’t “sweat”, which often will cause your design to run.

Secondly, for easier carving, make a thin slice along the bottom of the melon to provide a stable, non-moving base.

 Next, Choose the pattern that you’d like to carve. Carefully tape the pattern to your watermelon, using a toothpick or small pointed object carefully poke holes along your pattern lines indicating the areas you will carve out. (Just as you would a Pumpkin Carving Template.)

Once you have added your pattern to your watermelon, carefully cut out the largest piece that is to be removed. Using a melon-baller or spoon, scoop out your melon, saving it in a bowl. (You can refill your watermelon later with an assortment of fruit chunks or fruit salad.)