Beyond the knife: Attitudes and learning in Thai fruit and vegetable carving

Abstract

This study aims to compare attitudes towards fruit and vegetable carving in Thai cuisine between Thai and foreign participants and evaluate the effectiveness of a short course in teaching this traditional art form. We split the study into two parts using a mix of methods. The first part polled 200 people (100 Thai and 100 foreign) about their attitudes towards carving courses. The second part set up a short course for 20 people (10 Thai and 10 foreign) to see how their skills improved and how satisfied they were with the course. The results revealed that Thai participants showed higher positive attitudes in all dimensions (personal, general, and cultural attitudes), with cultural attitudes scoring the highest (Thai: 4.68±0.19; foreign: 4.42±0.27). Both groups strongly agreed that fruit and vegetable carving enhances the value of Thai cuisine and reflects Thai cultural identity. In the short course evaluation, both groups achieved 'good' proficiency levels and reported high satisfaction with the teaching process and course benefits, particularly in the instructor's knowledge and competence. Both groups showed a strong interest in learning side dishes and fruit carving techniques. The study concludes that structured courses can effectively transmit these traditional skills across cultural boundaries. These findings provide valuable insights for developing educational programs that conserve cultural heritage while enhancing Thailand's culinary tourism appeal through structured learning.