How to Decorate Food

Know when to use decorative fruit. Most fruits are sweet and are used in small amounts to garnish desserts, with salads being the best. In addition, citrus fruits have a sour taste that will be very suitable when used to create color and flavor for fish, meat and other fruit and dessert dishes.

• Citrus fruits can be used as eye-catching garnishes by cutting them into thin rounds, wedge-shaped blocks, or spirals. For other fruits, you can prepare according to the instructions below:

Cut the fruit into simple squares. Choose firm, citrus or fleshy fruits with a varied texture, such as oranges or kiwis. From the center of the fruit, cut into long rectangles. Then cut the rectangular block into several equal squares. ^[4]

• Use a variety of fruits of different colors. Some fruits like cantaloupe or mango will be lighter in color. You can cut into squares or use a spoon to scoop balls to create spheres.

Make a fan out of strawberries. Wash strawberries and drain. Then, use a paring knife to trim the strawberries into 4-5 evenly thick slices from top to near the stem. Note that only cut the strawberry close to the stem, not cut the strawberry into pieces. Gently spread each strawberry to create a fan shape and place on a plate to decorate.

Flower shape from Maraschino cherries. Prune cherries from the top to near the stem (about 2/3 of the fruit body). Then rotate the cherry and cut it two more times to form 6 “petals” that do not separate. Carefully unfold the petals and press them flat. ^[5]

• If you like, you can also place a piece of fruit jam or edible garnish in the middle and arrange 1-2 mint leaves underneath.

Decorative ingredients from sugar-coated fruit. Choose a fruit with a firm body, wash it, and pat dry with a paper towel. Separate the egg whites into a bowl and beat until foamy. Then, spread the egg whites in a thin, even layer on the outside of the fruit. Finally, sprinkle with powdered sugar for a matte look. ^[6]

Make a swan from an apple. If you have time, you can use a sharp knife to cut the apple into a swan shape. In the absence of apples, you can use large radishes or other large, firm-bodied vegetables.

• Other designs can be used as accents or decorative materials for special occasions. If you are interested, you can go online to find instructions on how to create Thai fruit shapes or search for the keyword “food art”.

Use decorative ingredients from vegetables, flowers, herbs for savory dishes. These ingredients make a great garnish for salads, meat dishes, vegetable dishes, pasta and rice. If you don’t know what vegetables or flowers to use, choose ingredients commonly used in cooking or mild-tasting vegetables like cucumbers and radishes.

Make flower shapes out of carrots or cucumbers. Wash half a cucumber or carrot and remove the rough skin. Use a paring knife to cut a long line along the stem but do not cut it. Cut a few more times around the bulb to create a “petal” shape. If there’s enough room inside, cut another layer to create more wings. Cut off the thick inner part and gently bend the petals outward. ^[7]

Make a rose from a tomato. Peel the tomatoes into a long and spiral strip. It should be cut into narrow strips from one end to the other. Then, wrap the tomato strips into a tight roll and release to create a flower shape. You will need to insert the end of the tomato strip between the two spiral folds or use a toothpick to secure. ^[8] You may need to tuck the narrow end in between two fpds of the spiral to keep it in place, or use a toothpick to fasten it more firmly.

Make a chain of vegetables. You can cut onions, bell peppers, and gutted cucumbers into circles. Then, cut off these circles to hook them together to form a closed chain. The vegetable ring can be placed on top of the dish or around the plate. ^[9]

Use food coloring to create decorative ingredients from onions. Cut the onion into wedge-shaped chunks but keep the root part intact so the blocks don’t come apart. Dip the onion in hot water to firm up the onion and reduce the pungent smell. Then, soak the onion in food coloring for 20-30 minutes to create an attractive color. ^[10]

Choose edible flowers. Vipet flowers, roses, geraniums, marigolds and periwinkles are all edible flowers. If you want to use other flowers to decorate dishes, you should research carefully because some species can be toxic. Do not eat wildflowers that grow by the roadside, near sources of pollution, flowers that have been sprayed with pesticides, or strange flowers. Only certain flowers are edible and should be used separately to avoid digestive problems. ^[11] In general, flowers are the simplest and most attractive decorative materials.

• The taste of flowers can vary depending on the type, time of year, and habitat of the flower. So, even if you’ve tried that flower, you should try the petals before using it for decoration.

Use herbs. Parsley is one of the simplest and most popular garnishes. Naturally mild in flavor to balance out the flavors, parsley goes well with dishes with a rich, rich or meaty flavor. If you don’t have parsley, you can use rosemary, mint, or other herbs, but be sure to cut off the inedible stalks.

• Sometimes, the dish just needs to be garnished with a little spicy herbs or spices. You can simply use paprika, chili powder or turmeric to give the dish an eye-catching bright color.

Drizzle with socpa to shape. You can drizzle melted socpa or socpa syrup in a zigzag shape directly over your dessert or plate. To make it more complicated, you can mold and shape the melted socpa onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Then, put the baking tray in the refrigerator or freezer for about 10 minutes to let the socpa cool and harden. ^[12] Finally, simply top your socpa over ice cream or lay it flat on a cool dessert before serving.

• Use black, white and milk socpa for variety.

Dip the fruit in the socpa. Strawberries, grapes or fruit cubes dipped in socpa and frozen can make a delicious dessert. You just need to stick the fruit on the skewers. Then, line the skewers into a fan shape by inserting the other end of the skewers into a fruit salad from half a melon or another dessert of your choice.

Coat the edible flowers with sugar. You should choose flowers that are edible, not sprayed with pesticides, and have a pleasant scent. Then, beat the egg whites until frothy and spread on the flowers. Finally, sprinkle with powdered sugar and use flowers to garnish rice paste or other desserts.