Decorate your Food with These 7 Tools

Do you find this picture scrumptious? Before 2020, my food didn't have that same eye-catching appeal. Long time ago, an attendee had given me feedback on one of my cooking events that my food tasted delicious, but lacked the aesthetic to match. Until that day, I hadn't cared enough for the food presentation.I said nothing, but the thought stayed with me. I tried my hand at food styling, driven by the desire to try something new. When I tried it, I instantly took a liking to it. I wasn't very creative in the beginning, after all I didn't have all the tools and resources.

Food has always been central to my life in India. While my family focused on warmth, freshness, and flavor, food styling wasn't a priority. We made dinners special with fancy crockery and dining tables, but never put much effort into styling the food itself. However, when I started exploring food styling, I discovered the power it has to elevate the dining experience.

Whenever I had the luxury of time I observed recipe books that had aesthetic pictures and food decorations, and noticed how even the tiniest touch of finesse can elevate the look of a dish.

Even affordable restaurants here in Europe put effort into making their food look pleasing to the eye, so why shouldn't I?

The benefits of food styling go beyond just appearances. Ayurveda, the "science of life," teaches us we consume our food with all five senses, with the process of digestion beginning well before we taste our food. We are enticed by the aroma, our fingers experience the texture as we touch it, and our expectations for flavor are influenced by how the food is presented.

In fact, over 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual, and over 50% of the cortex is devoted to processing visual information.

The first time I experimented with a South Indian recipe idli, and I tried to add an extra layer of creativity to it by splitting it in half and adding fresh sprigs of herbs to the serving. If you scroll down my Instagram you can see my ideas evolve as I progress more.

If you always get intrigued by how people do food styling, you can start with these tools.

Microplane Grater

My preferred tool for shredding cashews, orange zest, pistachios, and rose petals—all of which create lovely garnishes—is the Microplane. If you already have a grater you can use it, but if you're on the lookout for an upgrade, I highly recommend giving Microplane’s versatility a try.

Ring Shaper

Are you looking to add some creativity to your rice and curry plating? Consider using ring shapers to create various shapes like hearts, squares, and circles. The possibilities are endless! Whenever I host an online event, I let people pick the shape they'd like me to plate the curry in.

If you're not willing to invest into these ring shapers, you can also use a bowl and stuff it with rice. Flip it onto a plate for a simple but stylish presentation.

Lemon Zester

There’s nothing like a ring of lemon zest to add a note of elegance to your mocktails and a pop of color to your platter. Using a lemon zester is the perfect tool for zesting citrus fruits, but it can also be used to grate chocolate shavings on top of desserts like chocolate mousse.

Butter Curler

Don’t the lovely butter curls you see in cookie advertisements make your mouth water? A butter curler can bring you that shape straight from the advertisements to your table.

Impress your guests by adding frozen butter curls to your parathas and butter masala curries for that extra touch of elegance.

Tweezer

If you would like to be specific with your decoration, you can particularly place one rose petal or lavender bud or a small chili, or a coriander leaf, this culinary tweezer comes out very handy in plating the food in patterns.

Chopsticks 

Sometimes you have a thick curry and you want to create a pattern on top. Something similar to a chopstick really helps you to draw those patterns. I always prefer these wooden chopsticks over steel ones as I have observed a higher success rate in creating patterns in this way.

Tea Strainer

A tea strainer is something you might already have lying around in your kitchen, and it can be your go-to for some simple, effortless touch of elegance. Sprinkling sugar, chocolate powder or coffee powder to create that dusty texture on drinks and desserts.

Don't underestimate the power of nuance, as it can make a significant impact on the eating experience. I take inspiration from everything around me and then implement those ideas in my food styling. I hope I was able to help you understand how fun and simple food styling can be — and perhaps even provided you a new hobby to explore.

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Let’s bring some flair to your food.