Content

• Steps
• Advice

If you haven't decorated the dish before, it may be difficult to get started. However, unlike you might think, ingredients just need to be as colorful and simple as possible. So you don't have to pressure yourself to create a completely new recipe to combine with your dishes. To make decorating more easily, whether it's an appetizer or a dessert, you can refer to the instructions below:

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Choosing Decorative Materials

1. 

   It is best to use edible decorative ingredients. Decorative ingredients are not only for decoration but also to add a new flavor and texture to the whole dish. Therefore, you should use edible ingredients to avoid the hassle of removing decorations before eating.

2. 

   
   
   Ensure inedible ingredients are easily identifiable and removed. Cocktail umbrellas and cake candles are inedible decorative ingredients and cannot be replaced with edible ingredients. However, they are easy to identify and you can remove them from the dish, so it is rarely mistakenly eaten. Ideally other non-edible ingredients should have the same recognizable properties.

3. 

   
   
   Decide on ingredients that have a strong or light flavor. Bland dishes often need garnish with herbs or spices, but not all ingredients must have a strong flavor. If the dish has a lot of flavor combinations, it's best not to use decorative ingredients that are too contrasting or overwhelming the other ingredients.

4. 

   Choose ingredients with a variety of textures and colors. Choose ingredients that contrast with the colors of the food to make them easier to see and attract. Likewise, the crispy vegetable ingredients add variety and appeal to a dish with a soft texture.
   • You can also decorate with 2 ingredients and form layers on the plate to create contrast between the two colors. For example, you can decorate with sliced ​​tomatoes and cucumbers, or different colored jelly blocks.

5. 

   
   
   Put decorative ingredients on a plate. Decorative materials placed on a contrasting background will catch the eye better. If the dish comes in different colors, place the decorative ingredients directly on a plate or bowl. Most decorative ingredients stand out on a white dish, but a light material can also be combined with a dark ceramic plate.
   • Note that decorative ingredients are meant to highlight the main dish and not the most important element. Therefore, you should only decorate a little of the ingredients on the outside to make the dish more attractive instead of placing them in a strip that is too long or too large.

6. 

   Pay attention to the temperature between the ingredients and the dish. Frozen decorative ingredients can melt if placed next to a hot dish. Even if they don't lose their shape, cold, large chunks can be inconvenient when eaten with hot soups, or hot decorative ingredients won't suit a cool dessert. advertisement

Method 2 of 4: Decorate with Fruits

1. 

   Know when to use decorative fruit. Most fruit has a sweet taste and is used in small amounts to decorate desserts, salads are the best. In addition, citrus fruits with a sour taste will be very suitable when used to color and flavor dishes from fish, meat and other fruit and desserts.
   • Citrus fruits can be used as an eye-catching decorative material by cutting into thin round slices, wedge-shaped cubes or twisted shapes. For other fruits, you can prepare them according to the instructions below:

2. 

   Cut fruit into simple squares. Choose strong, citrus fruits or a richly textured gut like oranges or kiwis. From the center of the fruit, cut it into a long rectangular block. Then, cut the rectangle into equal squares.
   • Use a variety of colored fruits. Certain fruits, such as cantaloupe or mango, will be lighter in color. You can cut it into a square or use a spoon to make a round ball.

3. 

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

4. 

   Create a flower shape from a Maraschino cherry. Trim the cherries from head to toe (about 2/3 of the fruit). Then, rotate the cherries and cut two more times to form six non-separate "petals". Carefully spread the petals out and press them flat.
   • If you prefer, you can also place a piece of fruit jam or an edible decoration in the middle and place 1-2 mint leaves underneath.

5. 

   Decorative ingredients from fruit covered with sugar. Choose fruit with firm body, wash it and pat dry with a paper towel. Separate the egg whites into a bowl and beat until lathered. Then, spread the egg whites into a thin, even layer on the outside of the fruit. Finally, sprinkle the powdered sugar over it for a translucent look.

6. 

   Create a swan shape 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 large, firm vegetables.
   • Other designs can be used as accents or as decorative materials for special occasions. If you are interested, you can go online to find instructions on how to create Thai fruit or search for the keyword "culinary arts".
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Method 3 of 4: Garnish with Vegetables, Flowers, and Herbs

1. 

   Use decorative ingredients from vegetables, flowers, herbs for savory dishes. These ingredients will make a great choice to decorate salads, meat dishes, vegetable dishes, pasta and rice. If you are unsure of which vegetables or flowers to use, choose ingredients that are commonly used in cuisine or have mildly flavored vegetables such as cucumbers, white radish.

2. 

   Create a flower shape from a carrot or a cucumber. Wash half a cucumber or a carrot, and then peel off the rough skin. Use a knife to cut a long path along the stem, but don't 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 intestine and gently bend the petals outwards.

3. 

   Create a rose from tomatoes. Peel the tomatoes into a long, spiral strip. Should cut into narrow strips gradually from one end to the other. Then, wrap the tomato strip tightly, then release it to form a flower. You will need to place the end of the tomato strip between the spiral folds or use a toothpick to fix it. You may need to tuck the narrow end in between two folds of the spiral to keep it in place, or use a toothpick to fasten it more firmly.

4. 

   Make a chain of vegetables. You can cut the onion, bell pepper, and cucumber off the intestines into a circle.Then, cut these circles to hook them together to form a closed chain. Vegetable loops can be placed on top of dishes or around plates.

5. 

   Use food coloring to create decorative ingredients from onions. Cut the onion into wedges, but keep the base of the roots intact so that the blocks don't separate. Dip the onions in hot water to make them firm and less pungent. Then, soak onions in food coloring for 20-30 minutes to create attractive colors.

6. 

   Choose edible flowers. Violet flowers, roses, geraniums, marigolds, and dry lotus are all edible flowers. If you want to use other flowers to decorate your dish, you should learn carefully because some species can be toxic. Do not eat wildflowers growing along the roadside, near sources of pollution, flowers sprayed with pesticides or strange flowers. Only a few flowers are edible and should be used individually to avoid digestive problems. In general, flowers are the simplest and most attractive decorative material.
   • The taste of the flower may vary depending on the type, time of year, and habitat of the flower. So, even if you have tried that flower, you should also try the petals before using it for decoration.

7. 

   Use herbs. Parsley is one of the simplest and most popular decorative ingredients. With a mild natural taste to balance the flavors, parsley is suitable for 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 stem.
   • Sometimes, the dish only needs to be garnished with a little herbs or spices. You can simply use paprika, chili powder or turmeric to give the dish an eye-catching glow.
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Method 4 of 4: Garnish with Dessert Ingredients

1. 

   Sprinkle chocolate to shape. You can sprinkle molten chocolate or chocolate syrup into a zigzag directly over dessert or dish. More complicated, you can mold and shape molten chocolate onto a baking tray that is pre-packed with parchment paper. Then, place the baking tray in the refrigerator or freezer for about 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to cool and harden. Finally, just plug the chocolate onto the ice cream or lay it straight on the cool dessert before enjoying.
   • Use black, white and milk chocolate for variety.

2. 

   Dip the fruit in chocolate. Frozen chunks of strawberries, grapes or fruit can make for a delicious dessert. Just stick the fruit on a skewer. Then, arrange the skewers in a fan shape by plugging the other end into a fruit salad from half a melon or another dessert of your choice.

3. 

   Cover the edible flowers with sugar. 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 the powdered sugar on top and use flowers to decorate your rice flakes or other desserts.

4. 

   Use a multicolored jelly. Any flavored drink, from herbal teas to juices, can be mixed with jelly powder. First, heat the jelly according to the instruction manual and pour into the mold. Then, freeze it to thicken the agar. If you don't have a shaping mold, you can cut the jelly into a block, diamond shape or any shape you like.
   • Broths or soaking herbs in water can also be used to make salty jelly.
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Advice

• You should buy a set of sharpened and high quality knives specifically for use in preparing decorative materials. The sharp knife will help you cut the ingredients tighter.