Take One Watermelon

Watermelon fruit carving

They gave a chef a watermelon and a paring knife and in five minutes he'd created this scary-looking head. Some chefs carve beautiful flowers or exotic fish but oh, no - this guy made an effigy of his boss's ex-wife, so he said! I hope he was joking.
   Carved fruit and vegetables decorate the casual dining areas and the special theme buffets on cruise ships. Watermelons are often used as the texture is easy to carve and different colour effects - from green to pink to white - can be created depending on how deep the knife cuts are made.
   Sometimes animal sculptures are made from fruits such as bananas, oranges and pineapples. It takes only a few minutes for the creative carvers to work their magic.
    One of my favourites was when two lemons, one orange and a strawberry were transformed into a monkey. He was sitting under a palm tree made of a carrot and a green bell pepper.
   Fruit carving demonstrations are part of the enrichment programs on most cruise ships.