Elements of Food Design

Attention must be given to the elements of food design to enhance the food during preparation and presentation.

These elements include:

Arrangement

A good chef gives as much attention to the principles of design in food preparation as to the quality of the ingredients.

Because we eat with our eyes, the visual appeal of how foods are placed when being plated is very important.

One rule when plating foods is to keep the arrangement simple. Using one's creativity is of utmost importance in the presentation of foods.

Colour is very important in presentation of foods.

Choose foods that are bright and colourful to add that extra pizzazz.
Fruits and vegetables, naturally coloured, can enhance any plate.
If you choose garnishes to add colour, ensure that your garnish choice uses complementary colors to enhance the design and flavour of the entrée, too.

Each food on a platter or plate should be in proportion to others and in proportion to the serving plate.

Avoid having one very large piece of food with many small pieces around it.
Do not make food pieces too small or too large.
Try to keep pieces bite-sized unless the recipe dictates that the food be chopped finely, such as egg yolk.
Because the food speaks for itself, the garnish should complement this as a small side salad or a sprinkling of herbs, nuts, or ground spices. The garnish will complement the food when it is relevant, simple, and easy!

Achieving balance in a plated presentation can include attention to the use of

Use two or three colours on the plate or platter for visual appeal.

Provide for various textures; that is, no foods should be soft or mashed.

Cut foods into interesting shapes such as sticks, rounds, dices, etc.

When considering flavours, look for foods that complement each other.

Foods that have height should be placed at the back of the plate. Foods can be slightly overlapped so they do not lie flat on the plate.

Harmony is achieved when the other elements of design have been utilized:

A sense of unity will prevail in the presentation that has harmony.

Through practice, one learns to incorporate all the principles of design to create a pleasing array of foods.

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