While we've seen Japanese food-inspired art yield some amazing and mouth-watering results before, it's these intricate and beautiful fruit and vegetable carvings by Japanese artist Gaku that are reminding us of just how gorgeously detailed the Japanese art of mukimono can be!

Mukimono (剥き物), the Japanese traditional art of carving food (particularly fruits and vegetables), is most commonly observed as decorative garnishes served with meals. They may seem like simple flair to spruce up plating, but are deeply tied to the way Japanese people value aesthetic in food, so think about that the next time you find a flower shaped veggie floating in your soup. What makes Gaku's craft so impressive, as Spoon & Tamago notes, is that once you begin to carve the fruit, oxidization threatens to spoil your efforts, meaning Gaku must complete all these intricate carvings as quickly as possible.

Gaku clarifies that that he eats all these pieces of food art after he completes them, so they don't go to waste. Be sure to check out Gaku's Instagram account, where you can see him keeping this age-old artistic practice on a large and delicious level. He even does some Dragon Ball and One Piece themed pieces!


By - grape Japan editorial staff.