In China they carve watermelons...

I just got this from a cousin, and I was amazed at some of these pics! There were actually 32 pictures, but I'm not going to post them all here. But I just had to show you guys!

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

Cool!

How cool is that!?! Such variety, too. It reminds me of sandart - a fragile, temporary kind of beauty that makes it all the more delightful.

WOW, what else can I say!!!

There is a Chinese restaurant we go to sometimes and my meal is always delivered with a rose carved from a turnip or some other veggie on my plate. I don't see one on other plates. The first time it happened I know it was someone in the kitchen who was bored but I praised it lavishly. I can't believe they remember me every time. I will miss it when that person is gone or they forget about it. Jessamine

Those are beautiful!

Very impressive is an understatement but I can't find words good enough to use.
That's a "How did they do that?" type of program I'd like to see on tv.

Wow....and my family is impressed when I make melon balls instead of serving it in wedges! (*grin*)

Seriously, those are GORGEOUS and I really admire anyone who can carve something as intricate as that!

Absolutely incredible! Carving watermelon has taken on a new art form!! Such creativity and ingenuity!!

Absolutely beautiful !! .. Thanks for posting to share some of the pics with us Terre_ !!

Oh my .. the skill and patience involved - or so, it would sure seem (and be) to 'me'. (*hee*)
Heck, I consider myself extremely 'lucky' for my end cut to come within an inch of my starter - just to cut melons in half! .. LOL

That particular talent, skill and intricacy - certainly adds a renewed meaning .. to culinary art ! ! !

- Magpye

those are really something else.....since you got so many pics, and we all seem to be injoying them, why not post a couple more.....
wow, again, isnt it amazing????

Try this link:

http://www.americade.info/melons1.htm

Rhonda

Rhonda, that's the ones! Cool, huh?

wow - those are something else.....

Art Food or table art has become more and more popular in China's restaurants with stars.It is part of the Chinese food-drink culture.Traditionally,our F&D culture emphases 'color,fragrance and odor',that is a feast for the eye,a feast for the nose,and a feast for the tongue.Nowadays,in order to meet the need of noble consumers' eyes,cooks with artical genes create a carved art food.The above ones are just one common example.As I know, many other fruits and vegetables can also be made into art food.For example,purple tulips are stripped layer by layer and made into showy rose flowers;colorful cabbages are placed on the plates for ornament;complete orange peels,after taking out the inner pulp,are used to hold frying crab or shrimp meat;and cucumbers are carved into vivid phoenixes.One of my friends commented on this phenomenon,saying this is called eating the culture,not eating the food.

These arts are really arts!
As far as my understanding,images 1-3 are of the flowers Peonies,which symbol 'huakai fugui' (flowers blooming and hapiness coming).Image 4 are of 'aide luomanshi' (love romance),but traditionally,we often see a pattern of a couple of parrenlled dragon and phoenix palying with a pearl ball to express to happily stay together forever.And the last image is about lovely country girls with scarfs on head.
I will be very appreciated if my interpretation would have some help for you to understand Chinese table arts.