What is the chef carving

Food carving is a variety of edible raw materials with carving properties, through a special knife, processed into a beautiful shape, auspicious and generous, lifelike, with ornamental value of the "craft" works.

Food carving patterns, a wide range of materials, whether ancient or modern, flowers, birds, fish and insects, landscape architecture, myths and legends, wherever there is an auspicious, beautiful symbols, can be expressed in the form of art.

Food carving common raw materials

Food carving of the common raw materials have two categories, one is the texture of fine, solid and crisp, pure color roots, stems, leaves, melons, fruits and other vegetables; the other is both edible, but also for the ornamental cooked food, such as egg products. But the most commonly used or the former category. The characteristics and uses of commonly used varieties of vegetables are introduced as follows:

1, green carrot: larger, brittle texture, suitable for carving a variety of flowers, as far as the birds and animals, landscape architecture, etc., is more ideal for carving raw materials. Autumn, winter and spring can be used.

2, carrots, carrots, lettuce: these three vegetables are small, different colors, suitable for carving a variety of small flowers, birds, fish, insects and so on.

3, beetroot: also known as blood pimples, due to the color of bright red, the body shape is similar to the round, so suitable for carving a variety of flowers.

4, potato, sweet potato: delicate texture, can be carved flowers and figures.

5, cabbage, round onion: these two varieties of vegetables are more narrow, can only carve some specific flowers, such as chrysanthemums, lotus, etc..

6, winter melon, watermelon, pumpkin, wild rice gourd, yucca, cucumber: because these melons are with the flesh inside, can use the color of its appearance, form, carve a variety of relief patterns. If you go to its inner flesh, can also be used as a vessel, such as melon cups and hollow carved melon lamps, cucumbers and other small raw materials can be used to carve insects, can be processed up after the decorative, decorative role.

7, red pepper, green pepper, cilantro, celery, eggplant, red cherries, white onions, red beans: these varieties are mainly used for carving works of decoration.

Principles of selecting raw materials for food carving

When choosing raw materials for food carving instruments, it is enough to pay attention to the following principles.

1, according to the theme of the carving works to be selected, do not be aimless.

2, according to the season to choose the raw materials, because the vegetable raw materials of the season is very strong.

3, the choice of raw materials, especially the solid part must be seamless flaws, fiber neat, fine, heavy weight, pure color. Because food carving works, only the surface is smooth, with texture, in order to make people feel its beauty.

Food carving of the commonly used knife

Food carving of the knife and pier on the processing of cutting and matching dishes raw materials used in different knife law, it has unique features. Now according to the former chef in the carving technique, that is, the specific use of tools and our nearly a decade, in the process of food carving in the specific practice, roughly summarize the following several knife law, for peer reference only.

(1) spin: spin the knife method is mostly used for a variety of flowers carving, it can make the work rounded, regular, and at the same time is divided into two methods of internal and external spin. External spin is suitable for flowers carved from the outer layer to the inner layer, such as moon season, roses, etc.; internal spin is suitable for flowers carved from the inside to the outside or flowers alternating between the two knife methods, such as calla lilies and peonies.

(2) Carving: the knife method of carving is the most commonly used in carving, which is always used throughout the carving process.

(3) Insertion: the knife method of insertion is mostly used for the feathers, wings, tails of flowers and birds, strange stones and architectural works, which is a knife method accomplished by special knives.

(4) scratch: refers to the carving of the object, scratch out the general shape of the idea, lines, with a certain depth, and then carve a knife method.

(5) turn: turn of the knife is a knife on a specific carving of the object performance of a knife, which has a regular circle, arc shape.

(6) painting: painting this knife method, in the carving of large relief works more applicable, it is in the plane to show the image of the carving of the general shape, outline. Such as: carving watermelon cup more than this knife method, generally use the beveled knife.

(7) cut: refers to the carving of the surface of the work "rounding", that is, to achieve a smooth surface, a neat knife.

(8) gouge: gouge refers to the use of a variety of inserted knife in a specific position in the carving work, gouge the excess.

(9) hollowing, is a carving work to achieve a certain depth or through the air when a knife used.

Precautions before food carving

In order to make the carved works to achieve the desired effect, before the carving, should pay attention to the following requirements:

(1) Understanding of the banquet form. Banquet forms are varied, simple can be divided into "birthday feast", "celebration feast", "party feast", "family feast ", international exchanges: 'State Banquet", trade and work banquets and large-scale cocktail parties and so on.

The main understanding of the form of the banquet, you can carve out the form of the banquet with the appropriate carving works to support the atmosphere of the banquet, such as: "birthday banquet" can be carved "pine and crane spring", "the old man" and so on, "the old man", "the old man", "the old man", "the old man" and so on. "and so on," "celebration banquet" carving "dragon and phoenix", "mandarin ducks playing in the water", "peacock peony

(2) Understand the customs of the guests. With the deepening of reform and opening up, our country and international exchanges more and more, which requires us to understand more about the different countries and regions of people's habits, customs, religious beliefs, preferences, taboos and so on, in order to differentiate from the guests, carve out the guests' favorite works.

(3) highlight the theme. In order to avoid the clutter of carving works, before carving should first determine the theme, conceptualization of the works to be carved structure, proportion (layout) and other issues to ensure that the theme is prominent, while taking into account the role of a number of additional works of accompaniment, such as the "hundred birds towards the wind" works of "birds", "Confucius", "Confucius", "Confucius", "Confucius", "Confucius", "Confucius", "Confucius" and so on. At the same time, it is necessary to consider the role of some additional works, such as "hundred birds" in "Hundred Birds Toward the Wind", "peacock and peony", "peony flower", and so on. The additional works should not be far-fetched and put together, so as not to add to the snake, not to play the role of the dragon point clear.

(4) Selection of raw materials and materials for art, selection of materials for the success or failure of the carving works is crucial, in the selection of materials, not only to choose the quality of excellent color beauty of the raw materials, but also in the raw material of the shape to consider, generally speaking, the shape of the raw materials and the image of the work of the general shape of the similarity of the shape of the carving up is relatively smooth, and the shape of the shape of the carving of the raw materials, the author should give full play to the imagination, broaden the horizon, and the carving up of materials for art.

(5) pay attention to health requirements. As food carving and dishes with very close, at the same time, is the banquet on the dishes before the "first officer", therefore, good food carving hygiene measures are particularly important, which requires us first to keep the raw materials clean and sanitary, good texture. Do not use spoiled or rotten raw materials, so as to ensure the quality of the banquet and the health of the guests.

Food carving in the use of dishes

The use of carvings is multifaceted, it is not only the beautification of the banquet, the atmosphere of the art of modeling, but also in conjunction with the dishes can show its unique characteristics. It can make a beautiful dish icing on the cake, become a work of art, and some dishes in the meaning of harmony, pleasing to the eye, intriguing.

The use of carvings on dishes is selective, it is based on the content of the dishes and specific requirements to determine the form of carvings and the use of methods.

The food carving to the cold dishes, generally part of the carving parts with cold dishes of raw materials, composed of a complete shape, such as "peacock open screen", the peacock's head is carved, and other parts of the body, such as feathers, etc., is with cucumber, ham sausage, soy sauce, beef tongue, mixing shredded chicken, Crane tungsten eggs, spicy cabbage and other meat and vegetables Raw materials and become. Make the carving work and the dish ingredients into one.

Food carving in the use of hot dishes, it is necessary to take into account from the meaning of the dishes, harmonies, shapes and other aspects. Such as lotus fish maw this hot dish, with a pair of mandarin ducks carving, it has become a festive and auspicious symbolism of the "mandarin ducks play lotus"; then, such as grilled bear palm with an eagle carving, borrowing its harmonics, it becomes "Ying (eagle) male ③ ten fighting spirit", suddenly interesting; from the shape of the Ideas, a dish of fish pouring sauce on the edge of the plate, with a fishing rod holding a fishing boy carving, that is, "fishing boy fishing", so that the whole dish and carving works to produce the effect of harmony and consistency.

In the specific placement, cold dishes and carvings can be put closer, hot dishes and carvings to be farther away, such as in the carvings around the fresh cucumber slices, cauliflower, etc. for the perimeter, not only to increase the decorative effect, but also do not affect each other.

In short, the application of food carving is flexible, whether it is accompanied by dishes, landscaping countertops, in the shape of the requirements are very strict, which requires us chefs not only to have a gourmet style, but also has the artist's style, so that food carving has really become an indispensable part of the cooking technology.

The significance of food carving:

Food carving is a variety of beautification banquet, accompanied by dishes, atmosphere, and promote friendship in the art of modeling, whether it is a national banquet, or family celebratory banquets, can show its artistic vitality and infectious force, so that people in the enjoyment of material at the same time, but also to get the enjoyment of art. An exquisite dish if accompanied by a carving works close to the dish, will make the dish more brilliant, so that people can not bear to put down, such as "fire dragon skewer three fresh", the phoenix play peony, the sky girl scattered flowers, heroes fight, fishermen fishing, etc., due to the dish and carving as one, so that dishes and carving in the meaning and form to achieve coherent realm.