Culinary Carving and Plate Decoration - Hardcover

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

This book illustrates the grace and beauty of one of the world's most impressive but least known art forms: vegetable and fruit carving. Many of the edible delicacies we enjoy today have a history reaching back to ancient China. In fact, we credit China with developing one of the world's foremost cuisines and China's culinary influence on the workd has continued for thousands of years.The art form of vegetable and fruit carving emerged from the culinary developments taking place in ancient China. The practice of preparing garnishes to enrich the overall beauty of the meal began during the Tang Dynasty, from 618 to 906 A.D., and continued throughout the Sung Dynasty, which lasted from 960 to 1279 A.D. The public-at-large, however, rarely experienced this lovely and gentle art form because the practice was reserved primarily for the preparation of royal banquets and for the enjoyment of imperial guests.In today's diet-conscious world, the appearance as well as the! ! contents of the foods we consume assume great significance. Trendy restaurants and culinary magazines alike stress the equal importance of the style and substance of food. Society's ever-increasing interest in health and fitness has heightened our awareness of what we eat, how we eat it, and what it looks like. Healthy and nutritious food can be presented in an appetizing and appealing manner, thus encouraging us to savor what we eat as we admire what we see on our plates!Although members of the royal family and other aristocrats in ancient China were once the only ones fortunate enough to view the gracious art of vegebable and fruit carving, today the splendor of this art has become accessible to us all. These days, when attending a luncheon, a family dinner, or a holiday banquet, chances are that we will see some type of vegetable or fruit carving or decoration accompanying the meal -- because anything beautiful to see and delicious to eat will be admired and enjoyed by all.