Few of us have thought about what carving is. This is a peculiar art of cutting from vegetables or fruits. For example, carving from an apple, which is quite popular and easy to prepare. This lesson is great for both adults and children. But to look after your child so that he does not cut himself with a sharp knife is still necessary. In most cases, carving is done to calm the nerves, to develop motor skills.
History of occurrence
This art came to us from Southeast Asia. Since ancient times, food was served in Japan, having previously decorated it with leaves and berries. Then it turned into a tradition, which, in turn, influenced the emergence of a cutting art industry such as carving.
If you rely on a fairly well-known legend, carving gained its popularity after one festival in Japan. The skilled craftswoman provided the judges with her work, which combined a floating lamp and carved figures of birds and flowers carved from fruits and vegetables. The work so shocked the king that he ordered all women to master this skill. From that moment on, carving was forever entrenched in art.
Apple Carving for Beginners
In most cases, festive tables and a wide variety of dishes are decorated with carving. The most popular figurines of vegetables and fruits are swans, cones and roses. To repeat these work at home, you will need a sharp knife, which will be convenient to cut through even the smallest details, as well as an apple, potatoes or carrots. It all depends on your preferences and the desired result.
So, apple carving, step by step photo and method of preparation:
- we take one ripe apple, rinse it under running water and remove the spine and leaves;
- then cut it into equal halves;
- we divide one half into two parts, however that half which is closer to the core should be slightly smaller;
- in one half of the apple we make a mount for the neck - a small rectangular cutout right in the middle;
- on both sides of the cutout we make small cuts, not reaching the end;
- carefully cut the wings;
- from the rest of the middle of the apple we make the elegant neck of a swan;
- now we return our wing segments to the place and cut a small hole on the back of the swan;
- we insert the neck there - and that’s it, the carving from the apple is ready!
As you yourself have seen, this lesson is absolutely simple and does not require special skills. Creating such figures can not only surprise guests, but also give the child joy and excitement from independently made jewelry.
Work tips
Like any other field of activity, carving requires certain conditions and safety rules.
First of all, if you are cutting vegetables and fruits with a child, always follow his movements and limit the time you work with sharp objects. It will be best if your baby collects swan fragments from an apple. This applies to children under 12 years old. Older boys and girls can independently cut figures, based on the rules and technique.
Before using vegetables and fruits for cutting, they must be thoroughly washed, cleaned of roots and leaves, and treated with acidic water. In the case of carving of swans from an apple, acidic water prevents rapid oxidation, and the figure pleases the eye longer. Such a solution is prepared from a liter of boiled water diluted in it with a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Knives and tools with which you will make cuts and patterns should be well sharpened. The better the steel, the more accurate and elegant the lines of your flower, swan or cone are obtained.
Carrot flower
To ensure that your swans are not alone in decorating a dish, you can always complement them with bright flowers of carrots.
For carving you will need:
- large carrots;
- sharp knife;
- scissors.
Working process:
- peel the carrots, rinse under water and cut into several parts;
- with the help of a knife we give it a pentagonal shape, cutting it to the sides;
- with the same knife we make small incisions that do not reach the end (these will be our petals;
- now we cut thin petals in a checkerboard pattern, again not completely;
- on each petal we cut the edges, giving them a sharp ending;
- cut a little core and make stamens with a knife;
- cut the remaining edges of the petals with scissors.
This decoration is ideal for meat, cheese and vegetable cuts. And also they can decorate various salads and side dishes.