[Explanation] With a basin of water, a square piece of soft tofu, and a sharp knife, Ruan Zhimin, a teacher at Yunnan New Oriental Cooking School, held his breath, and the videos of lively ballerinas carved on the soft tofu were reposted by netizens.
[Commentary] Recently, the reporter visited Yunnan New Oriental Cooking School.
As soon as I stepped into the campus, I saw the exquisite food carving works one by one. When I opened the door of the food carving workshop, I saw Ruan Zhimin teaching students to make Tang Guo.
After kneading, coloring, carving and shaping, a series of skilled operations, a cherry blossom-shaped Tang fruit is completed.
Ruan Zhimin said that when he was in college, he studied culinary majors, and later secretly studied food carving with his senior, and he was carving for 17 years.
[Concurrent] Ruan Zhimin, teacher of Yunnan New Oriental Cooking School
I have been in contact with this industry since I was 21 years old, just after college, because I originally studied cooking, and then I particularly liked this food carving and painting during my studies. I used evening self-study and bought some raw materials by myself. Practicing sculpture in the classroom, or learning some fine art, is to slowly, that is, to become more and more emotional about these, and then more and more want to do this.
[Explanation] In September 2020, Ruan Zhimin released a video on the short video platform to make Sakura Tangguo, which was recognized by netizens, and then he continued to update his or his students’ food sculpture works.
Until July of this year, a video of tofu carving was pushed to the hot search again, and netizens said one after another: "Yes, I can't afford it again."
[Concurrent] Ruan Zhimin, teacher of Yunnan New Oriental Cooking School
When carving (tofu), you need to use a edible pencil to draw the lines, and then you need to use some simple carving knives or some digging knives to carve out the shape little by little, from flat to three-dimensional at last.
[Explanation] As a food carver, Ruan Zhimin has won many gold medals in various authoritative food carving competitions. He is good at sugar art, dough sculpture, fondant and other skills. He wants to pass on the skills he has mastered to his students and hopes to have more Many young people learn the art of food carving, and hope that the traditional Chinese food carving skills "go out".
[Concurrent] Lu Kai, student of Yunnan New Oriental Cooking School
I have been learning sugar art from Teacher Ruan for more than a year, and over the past year I can make some small works, for example, a series of sugar art works such as small lotus, crayfish, and small bamboo.
[Explanation] In the eyes of the students, Ruan Zhimin is obsessed with food carving. He is most proud of making Tang Guo.
According to reports, the exquisite noodles originated in the Tang Dynasty and later introduced to Japan, also called wagashi.
This traditional pastry-making process is a representative project of intangible cultural heritage. As the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, Ruan Zhimin hopes to let more people understand Chinese cuisine and to carry forward Tang Guo with his superb skills.
He Shuting reports from Kunming, Yunnan
Editor in charge: 【Luo Pan】