A garnish is an item or substance used as a decoration or

embellishment In sewing and crafts, an embellishment is anything that adds design interest to the piece. Embellishments allow individuals to express their personal style and identity. Clothing can be a form of self-expression, and the choice of embellishmen ...

accompanying a prepared food dish or

drink A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothie ...

. In many cases, it may give added or contrasting

flavor Flavour or flavor is either the sensory perception of taste or smell, or a flavoring in food that produces such perception. Flavour or flavor may also refer to: Science * Flavors (programming language), an early object-oriented extension to L ...

. Some garnishes are selected mainly to augment the visual impact of the plate, while others are selected specifically for the flavor they may impart. This is in contrast to a

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...

, a prepared sauce added to another food item primarily for its flavor. A food item which is served with garnish may be described as being garni, the

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

term for "garnished." The difference between garnish and decoration, is garnish is edible. For example, plastic grass for sushi presentation is considered a decoration, not a garnish.

Overview

A garnish makes food or drink items more visually appealing. They may, for example, enhance their color, such as when

paprika Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers, traditionally ''capsicum annuum''. It can have varying levels of Pungency, heat, but the peppers used for hot paprika tend to be milder and have thinner flesh than those used to produce ...

is sprinkled on a

salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...

salad. They may provide a color contrast, for example when

chive Chives, scientific name ''Allium schoenoprasum'', is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae. A perennial plant, ''A. schoenoprasum'' is widespread in nature across much of Eurasia and North America. It is the only spec ...

s are sprinkled on

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

es. They may make a

cocktail A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic beverage, alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more liquor, spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, Shrub (drink), shrubs, and ...

more visually appealing, such as when a

Mai Tai The Mai Tai ( ) is a cocktail made of rum, Curaçao liqueur, orgeat syrup, and lime juice. It is one of the characteristic cocktails in Tiki culture. History Victor J. Bergeron claimed to have invented the Mai Tai in 1944 at his restaurant, ...

is topped with any number of tropical

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

pieces. Sometimes a garnish and a condiment will be used together to finish the presentation of a dish; for example, an

entrée An entrée (, ; ), in modern French table service and that of much of the English-speaking world, is a dish served before the main course of a meal. Outside North America and parts of English-speaking Canada, it is generally synonymous with th ...

could be topped with a

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi- solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavour, texture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...

, as the condiment, along with a sprig of parsley as a garnish. A garnish may be so readily identified with a specific dish that the dish may appear incomplete without the garnish. Examples include a

banana split A banana split is an American ice cream-based dessert consisting of a peeled banana cut in half lengthwise, and served with ice cream and sauce between the two pieces. There are many variations, but the classic banana split is made with three sc ...

sundae A sundae (Sunday Ice) () is an ice cream frozen dessert of American origin that typically consists of one or more scoops of ice cream topped with a sweet sauce or syrup and other toppings such as sprinkles, whipped cream, marshmallows, chocola ...

with

cherries A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The name ...

on top or

buffalo wings A Buffalo wing in American cuisine is an unbreaded chicken wing section ( flat or drumette) that is generally deep-fried, then coated or dipped in a sauce consisting of a vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce and melted butter prior to servi ...

served with

celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'' Dulce Group or ''Apium graveolens'' var. ''dulce'') is a cultivated plant belonging to the species ''Apium graveolens'' in the family Apiaceae that has been used as a vegetable since ancient times. The original wild ...

stick garnish and

blue cheese dressing Blue cheese dressing is a popular side sauce, salad dressing and dip in the United States and Canada. It is usually made of some combination of blue cheese, mayonnaise, and buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt, milk, vinegar, onion powder, and gar ...

List of garnishes

Foods and entree

Garnishes for foods and entrees include: * Amandine – a

culinary Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking, and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as restaurants – are commonly called chefs or ...

term indicating a garnish of

almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree from the genus ''Prunus''. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus ''Amygdalus'', distinguished from the other subgenera ...

s *

Bawang goreng Bawang goreng is an Indonesian crispy fried shallot condiment, commonly deep-fried, and a popular garnish to be sprinkled upon various dishes of Indonesian cuisine. It is quite similar to a crisp fried onion. Ingredients Compared to onions, ...

– crisp fried

shallot The shallot is a cultivar group of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the difference was t ...

, a common garnish in

Indonesian cuisine Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions by various ethnic groups that formed in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed ...

Carrot The carrot ('' Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in colour, though heirloom variants including purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild ...

Caviar Caviar or caviare is a food consisting of salt-cured roe of the family Acipenseridae. Caviar is considered a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or spread. Traditionally, the term caviar refers only to roe from wild sturgeon in the Caspi ...

* Sun dried tomato *

Celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'' Dulce Group or ''Apium graveolens'' var. ''dulce'') is a cultivated plant belonging to the species ''Apium graveolens'' in the family Apiaceae that has been used as a vegetable since ancient times. The original wild ...

Chives Chives, scientific name ''Allium schoenoprasum'', is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae. A perennial plant, ''A. schoenoprasum'' is widespread in nature across much of Eurasia and North America. It is the only spe ...

Chili pepper Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...

– julienne, rings or decoratively sliced ** Chili threads *

Cilantro Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the leaves as ha ...

– coriander leaves *

Crouton A crouton () is a piece of toasted or fried bread, normally cubed and seasoned. Croutons are used to add texture and flavor to salads—notably the Caesar salad— as an accompaniment to soups and stews, or eaten as a snack food. Etymology T ...

Cucumber The cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the family Cucurbitaceae that bears cylindrical to spherical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.Duxelles Duxelles () is a French cuisine term that refers to a mince of mushrooms, onions, herbs (such as thyme or parsley), and black pepper, sautéed in butter and reduced to a paste. Cream is sometimes used, and some recipes add a dash of madeira or ...

Egg garnish Egg garnish, called ''Dansi'' () in Chinese, is a common topping in Chinese cuisine, made with egg whites and egg yolks. Egg yolks and egg whites are separated, beaten without creating foam, pan-fried with little oil into thin sheets without brow ...

Fried onion Fried onions are slices of onions that are either pan fried (sautéed) or deep fried — and consumed as a popular snack food, garnish, or vegetable accompaniment to various recipes. Sautéed onions Common fried onions are cooked by basic pa ...

– used as a garnish on steaks and other foods *

Gremolata ''Gremolata'' () or ''gremolada'' (, ) is a green sauce made with chopped parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. It is the standard accompaniment to the Lombard braised veal shank dish ossobuco. Ingredients ''Gremolata'' usually includes grated ...

Lemon basil Lemon basil, hoary basil, Thai lemon basil, or Lao basil,Dorothy Culloty (''Ocimum'' × ''africanum'') is a hybrid between basil (''Ocimum basilicum'') and American basil ('' Ocimum americanum''). The herb is grown primarily in northeastern ...

Radish The radish (''Raphanus sativus'') is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. Origina ...

* Manchette *

Microgreen Microgreens are Leaf vegetable, vegetable greens (not to be confused with sprouting, sprouts or Shoot (botany), shoots) harvested just after the cotyledon leaves have developed with one set of true leaves. They are used as a visual, flavor and te ...

s – young vegetable greens that are used both as a visual and flavor component, ingredient and garnish *

Mint Mint or The Mint may refer to: Plants * Lamiaceae, the mint family ** ''Mentha'', the genus of plants commonly known as "mint" Coins and collectibles * Mint (facility), a facility for manufacturing coins * Mint condition, a state of like-new ...

Nuts Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed * Nut (food), a dry and edible fruit or seed, including but not limited to true nuts * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut, NUT or Nuts may also refer to: A ...

Ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...

Parsley Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum''), is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to Greece, Morocco and the former Yugoslavia. It has been introduced and naturalisation (biology), naturalized in Eur ...

Persillade Persillade () is a sauce or seasoning mixture of parsley () chopped together with seasonings including garlic, herbs, oil, and vinegar. In its simplest form, just parsley and garlic, it is a common ingredient in many dishes, part of a sauté co ...

Sautéed mushrooms Sautéed mushrooms ( French: ''Champignons sautés au beurre'') is a dish prepared by sautéing edible mushrooms. It is served as a side dish, used as an ingredient in dishes such as coq au vin, beef bourguignon, and foods such as duxelles, a ...

– used on steaks and other foods *

Edible seaweed Edible seaweed, or sea vegetables, are seaweeds that can be eaten and used for culinary purposes. They typically contain high amounts of fiber. They may belong to one of several groups of multicellular algae: the red algae, green algae, and bro ...

– such as shredded

nori Nori is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, usually made from species of the red algae genus ''Pyropia'', including ''P. yezoensis'' and ''Pyropia tenera, P. tenera''. It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is generally made in ...

sheet, used to garnish foods such as soups, entrees and

sashimi is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or Raw meat, meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Origin The word ''sashimi'' means 'pierced body', i.e., "wikt:刺身, 刺身" = ''sashimi'', whe ...

Sesame seed Sesame (; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for it ...

s *

Walnut A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an i ...

Desserts and sweets

Garnishes for desserts and sweets include: Muffins with confetti candy

Caramel Caramel ( or ) is a range of food ingredients made by heating sugars to high temperatures. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons or candy bars, as a topping for ice cream and custard, and as a colorant ...

Chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...

(shaved or curled) *

Cocoa powder Dry cocoa solids are the components of cocoa beans remaining after cocoa butter, the fatty component of the bean, is extracted from chocolate liquor, roasted cocoa beans that have been ground into a liquid state. Cocoa butter is 46% to 57% of the ...

* Flaked coconut * * * (raspberry coulis, for example) * * * * * * * * * * *

** Walnut pieces and candied walnuts *

Wedding cake topper A wedding cake topper is a small model that sits on top of a wedding cake, normally a representation of the couple in formal wedding attire. History The wedding cake topper was dominant in United States weddings in the 1950s where it represented ...

Whipped cream Whipped cream, also known as Chantilly cream or (), is high-fat dairy cream that has been aerated by whisking until it becomes light, fluffy, and capable of holding its shape. This process incorporates air into the cream, creating a semi-soli ...

Beverages

Garnishes for beverages include: The perfect martini

Coffee-based drinks may have: *

Cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...

sticks or ground powder *

Savory drinks such as Bloody Mary may have: *

sticks *

stalks (usually with leaves attached) *

Pepper Pepper(s) may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plants ** Black pepper ** Long pepper ** Kampot pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanacea ...

Salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

, coarse (applied to the rim of glasses)

Eggnog Eggnog (), historically also known as a milk punch or an egg milk punch when alcoholic beverages are added, is a rich, chilled, added sugar, sweetened, dairy-based sweetened beverage, beverage traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolk ...

may have: *

Nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus '' Myristica''; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg ('' M. fragrans'') is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fru ...

, grated Various fruits are used: *

Cherries A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The name ...

Lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

slice, twist, or wedge *

Lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

slice, twist, or wedge *

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

slice, twist, or wedge *

Pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...

slice or wedge * * wedge * ** ** ** ** ** **

Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

, granulated or powdered

Garnishes according to cuisine traditions

French garnishes

Classic French garnishes include For soups: *

Brunoise Brunoise () is a List of culinary knife cuts, culinary knife cut in which the food item is first julienning, julienned and then turned a quarter turn and dicing, diced, producing cubes of about or less on each side. In France, a "brunoise" cut ...

– one to three mm diced vegetables *

Chiffonade Chiffonade () is a slicing technique in which Leaf vegetable, leafy green vegetables such as spinach, sorrel, or Swiss chard, or a flat-leaved herb like basil, are cut into long, thin strips. This is accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them ti ...

– finely shredded lettuce or sorrel stewed in butter * Croutes – small pieces of halved French bread buttered and oven dried *

Coulis A coulis ( ) is a form of thin sauce made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits. A vegetable coulis is commonly used on meat and vegetable dishes, and it can also be used as a base for soups or other sauces. Fruit coulis are most often ...

– (a thicker soup) drizzled decoratively *

Croutons A crouton () is a piece of toasted or fried bread, normally cubed and seasoned. Croutons are used to add texture and flavor to salads—notably the Caesar salad— as an accompaniment to soups and stews, or eaten as a snack food. Etymology T ...

– small pieces of bread (typically cubes) fried in butter or other oil * Julienne – thinly sliced vegetables * Pasta (tapioca, sago, salep) etc. * Pluches – a whole leaf spray of herbs, without the central stalk (traditionally chervil) * Profiterolles – puff pastry stuffed with purée * Royale – a small decoratively shaped piece of egg custard (in German this is called an Eierstich) * Threaded eggs For relevés and entrées: *

Croquettes A croquette (; ) is a deep-fried roll originating in French cuisine, consisting of a thick binder combined with a filling, which is then breaded. It is served as a side dish, a snack, or fast food worldwide. The binder is typically a thick bé ...

* Potatoes (

pommes dauphine Pommes dauphine, sometimes called dauphine potatoes,''Larousse Gastronomique'' (2009), p. 355. Hamlyn are crisp potato puffs made by mixing mashed potatoes with savoury choux pastry, forming the mixture into quenelle shapes or rounds that are de ...

Duchess potatoes Duchess potatoes () consist of a purée of mashed potato, egg yolk, and butter, which is forced from a piping bag or hand-moulded into various shapes which are then baked in a high temperature oven until golden.

or Marquis) *

Duxelles Duxelles () is a French cuisine term that refers to a mince of mushrooms, onions, herbs (such as thyme or parsley), and black pepper, sautéed in butter and reduced to a paste. Cream is sometimes used, and some recipes add a dash of madeira or ...

– fried onion, mushrooms and herbs * Matignon – minced carrots, onions, and celeries with ham stewed in butter and Madeira *

Mirepoix A mirepoix ( , ) is a mixture of diced vegetables cooked with fat (usually butter) for a long time on low heat without coloring or browning. The ingredients are not sautéed or otherwise hard-cooked, because the intention is to sweeten rather t ...

– similar to Matignon but diced (cf. minced) with or without ham (or with bacon substituted for the ham) *

Polonaise The polonaise (, ; , ) is a dance originating in Poland, and one of the five Polish folk dances#National Dances, Polish national dances in Triple metre, time. The original Polish-language name of the dance is ''chodzony'' (), denoting a walki ...

– Polish-style garnish with melted butter, bread crumbs, chopped boiled egg, lemon juice and herbs over cooked vegetables *

Salpicon Salpicon (, meaning "hodgepodge" or "medley"; ) is a dish of one or more ingredients diced or minced and bound with a sauce or liquid. There are different versions found in Spanish and the broader Latin American cuisine and Filipino cuisine. A sa ...

– a variety of other diced meats or vegetables *

Fritters A fritter is a portion of meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, or other ingredients which have been battered or breaded, or just a portion of dough without further ingredients, that is deep-fried. Fritters are prepared in both sweet and savory var ...

Indonesian garnishes

– crisp fried

, a common garnish in

* Young carrot leaf *

– locally known as ''daun seledri'' used as topping for soups or rice congee *

– sliced decoratively *

kue Kue are bite-sized snacks or desserts originally from what is now Indonesia but have since spread throughout Southeast Asia. ''Kue'' is a fairly broad term in Indonesian to describe a wide variety of snacks including cakes, cookies, fritters, p ...

sweet dessert snacks; such as

klepon ''Klepon'' () or ''kelepon'' or ''kalalapun'', also known outside Java as ''onde-onde'' and ''buah melaka'', is a sweet rice cake ball filled with molten palm sugar and coated in grated coconut. Of Javanese origin, the green-coloured glutinous ...

, putu and lupis *

Emping Emping is a type of Indonesian chip, a bite-size snack kripik cracker, made of ''melinjo'' or ''belinjo'' (''Gnetum gnemon'') nuts (which are seeds). Emping crackers have a slightly bitter taste. Emping snacks are available in markets either p ...

– ''melinjo'' nut crackers *

Krupuk ' (Javanese language, Javanese) is an Indonesian cuisine, Indonesian deep frying, deep-fried Cracker (food), cracker made from starch and other ingredients that serve as flavouring. They are a popular snack in parts of Southeast Asia, but are ...

– various traditional crackers *

– locally known as ''daun kemangi'' *

Tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

– sliced decoratively

Japanese garnishes

Beni shōga is a type of ''tsukemono'' ( Japanese pickle). It is made from thin strips of ginger pickled in umezu (), the vinegary pickling solution used to make umeboshi. The red color is traditionally derived from red perilla (''Perilla frutescens'' var ...

– julienne pickled ginger, usually used as a garnish for gyudon and

okonomiyaki is a Japanese ''teppanyaki'' savory pancake dish consisting of wheat flour batter and other ingredients (mixed, or as toppings) cooked on a '' teppan'' (flat griddle). Common additions include cabbage, meat, and seafood, and toppings include ...

* Gari – marinated thinly sliced ginger, usually used as a garnish for

sushi is a traditional Japanese dish made with , typically seasoned with sugar and salt, and combined with a variety of , such as seafood, vegetables, or meat: raw seafood is the most common, although some may be cooked. While sushi comes in n ...

and

Katsuobushi is simmered, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna (''Katsuwonus pelamis'', sometimes referred to as bonito). It is also known as bonito flakes or broadly as . Shaved ''katsuobushi'' and dried kelp—''kombu''—are the main ingredients of ...

– dried

bonito Bonitos are a tribe of medium-sized, ray-finned, predatory fish in the family Scombridae, which it shares with the mackerel, tuna, and Spanish mackerel tribes, and also the butterfly kingfish. Also called the tribe Sardini, it consists of ...

flakes, usually used as a garnish for

takoyaki Takoyaki ( or ) is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter (cooking), batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus as food, octopus (''tako''), tempura scraps (''tenkasu' ...

, sometimes called okaka *

Scallion Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chive ...

tree onion The tree onion (''Allium'' × ''proliferum'') is a perennial plant similar to the common onion (''A. cepa''), but with a cluster of bulblets where a normal onion would have flowers. Tree onions are also known as topsetting onions, walking ...

(''wakegi'') – mostly used as topping of tofu and

miso soup is a traditional Japan, Japanese soup consisting of miso paste mixed with a ''dashi'' Stock (food), stock. It is commonly served as part of an meal, meaning "one soup, three dishes," a traditional Japanese meal structure that includes rice, sou ...

* Various

edible seaweed Edible seaweed, or sea vegetables, are seaweeds that can be eaten and used for culinary purposes. They typically contain high amounts of fiber. They may belong to one of several groups of multicellular algae: the red algae, green algae, and bro ...

– including thinly sliced kizami nori sheets,

Aonori Green laver (), known as ''aonori'' (; ) in Japan, ''sea cabbage'' () or ''hutai'' () in China, and ''parae'' () and ''kim'' () in Korean, is a type of edible green seaweed, including species from the genera '' Monostroma'' and ''Ulva'' ('' Ul ...

Tororo Kombu Tororo is a town in the Eastern Region, Uganda, Eastern Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Tororo District. History Tororo was garrisoned by the Uganda Army (1971–1980), Uganda Army's Air an ...

used widely as topping of

ramen is a Chinese noodle dish popularized in Japan. It includes served in several flavors of broth. Common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen h ...

udon Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a soup as with a mild broth called made from dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. It is usual ...

yakiudon is a Japanese stir-fried dish consisting of thick, smooth, white udon noodles mixed with a soy-based sauce, meat (usually pork), and vegetables. It is similar to yakisoba, which involves a similar stir-frying technique using ramen-style wheat ...

Takoyaki Takoyaki ( or ) is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter (cooking), batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus as food, octopus (''tako''), tempura scraps (''tenkasu' ...

soba Soba ( or , "buckwheat") are Japanese noodles made primarily from buckwheat flour, with a small amount of wheat flour mixed in. It has an ashen brown color, and a slightly grainy texture. The noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sau ...

yakisoba (, , ) is a Japanese noodle Stir frying, stir-fried dish. Usually, soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, but soba in are Chinese-style noodles () made from wheat flour, typically flavored with a condiment similar to Worcestershire sauce ...

, or even

pizza Pizza is an Italian cuisine, Italian, specifically Neapolitan cuisine, Neapolitan, dish typically consisting of a flat base of Leavening agent, leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomato, cheese, and other ingredients, baked at a high t ...

and hotdogs *

Sesame Sesame (; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for ...

seeds – sprinkled on

steamed rice Cooked rice refers to rice that has been cooked either by steaming or boiling. The terms steamed rice or boiled rice are also commonly used. Any variant of Asian rice (both indica and japonica varieties), African rice or wild rice, glutino ...

or noodles *

Shiso ''Perilla frutescens'' var. ''crispa'', also known by its Japanese name shiso (), is a cultigen of '' Perilla frutescens'', a herb in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is native to the mountainous regions of China and India, but is now found world ...

leaf * Fukujinzuke, a condiment and garnish for curry dishes * Kinshi tamago, shredded strips of eggs popular on rice porridge, and hiyashi chuka a cold mixed ramen salad *

Fish roe Roe, ( ) or hard roe, is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooked in ...

such as

tobiko is flying fish roe in Japanese cuisine, known for its use in ''sushi''. Description The eggs are small, ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 mm. For comparison, ''tobiko'' is larger than '' masago'' ( capelin roe), but smaller than '' ikura'' (salmon ro ...

masago Roe, ( ) or hard roe, is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooking, c ...

mentaiko Pollock roe, also pollack roe (also known as ''tarako'' in Japanese and ''myeongnan'' in Korean), is the roe of Alaska pollock (''Gadus chalcogrammus'') which, despite its name, is a species of cod. Salted pollock roe is a popular culinary in ...

, and

ikura Red caviar is a caviar made from the roe of salmonid fishes (various species of salmon and trout), which has an intense reddish hue. It is distinct from black caviar, which is made from the roe of sturgeon.Nichola Fletcher, ''Caviar: A Globa ...

are popular on rice dishes such as

chirashi is a traditional Japanese dish made with , typically seasoned with sugar and salt, and combined with a variety of , such as seafood, vegetables, or meat: raw seafood is the most common, although some may be cooked. While sushi comes in n ...

and sushi as well * Shredded

daikon Daikon 大根 (だいこん) or mooli, (مولی) ''Raphanus sativus'' var. ''longipinnatus,'' is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, root. Originally native to continental East Asia ...

and ground daikon called

daikon oroshi Daikon 大根 (だいこん) or mooli, (مولی) ''Raphanus sativus'' var. ''longipinnatus,'' is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, root. Originally native to continental East Asia, ...

, a winter radish, is popular in bento and sushi dishes, the latter is popular on oily foods such as fish and tempura *

Sakura The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...

, star, heart and various shaped carrot garnishes are popular in bento *

Garlic chives ''Allium tuberosum'' (garlic chives, Oriental garlic, Asian chives, Chinese chives, Chinese leek) is a species of plant native to the Chinese province of Shanxi, and cultivated and naturalized elsewhere in Asia and around the world. It has a numb ...

Whitebait Whitebait is a collective term for the immature fry of fish, typically between long. Such young fish often travel together in schools along coasts, and move into estuaries and sometimes up rivers where they can be easily caught using fine-mes ...

such as shirasu and chirimenjako *

Edible flowers Edible flowers are flowers that can be consumed safely. Flowers may be eaten as vegetables as a main part of a meal, or may be used as herbs. Flowers are part of many regional cuisines, including Asian, European, and Middle Eastern cuisines.Laud ...

such as

chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums ( ), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants in the Asteraceae family. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia, and the center of diversity is in China. Co ...

Furikake is a dry Japanese condiment sprinkled on top of cooked rice, vegetables, and fish, or used as an ingredient in . It typically consists of a mixture of dried fish, sesame seeds, dried seaweed flakes, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. O ...

Umeboshi ''Umeboshi'' (Japanese language, Japanese: wiktionary:梅, 梅干し, pronounced , ) are pickled (brined) ''ume'' fruits common in Japanese cuisine, Japan. The word ''umeboshi'' is often translated into English as 'salted Japanese plums', 'J ...

Nameko ''Pholiota microspora'', commonly known as ''Pholiota nameko'' or simply , is a small, amber-brown mushroom with a slightly gelatinous coating that is used as an ingredient in miso soup and nabemono. In some countries this mushroom is avail ...

mushrooms *

Menma is a Japanese condiment made from lacto-fermented bamboo shoots. The bamboo shoots are dried in the sun or through other means before the process of fermentation. Menma is a common topping for noodle soups, notably ramen. Menma is primarily ...

fermented seasoned bamboo shoots * Soy egg *

Narutomaki or is a type of ''kamaboko'', or cured fish '' surimi'' produced in Japan. Each cloud-shaped slice of ''naruto'' has a pink or red spiral pattern, which is meant to resemble the Naruto whirlpools in the Naruto Strait between Awaji Island ...

* Mitsuba,

Cryptotaenia japonica ''Cryptotaenia japonica'', commonly called mitsuba, Japanese wild parsley and Japanese honewort among other names, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the celery family native to Japan, Korea and China China, officially the People's Rep ...

Tenkasu are crunchy bits of deep-fried flour batter used in Japanese cuisine, specifically in dishes such as ''soba'', ''udon'', ''takoyaki'', and '' okonomiyaki''. Hot, plain ''soba'' and ''udon'' with added ''tenkasu'' are called ''tanuki-soba'' a ...

, fried bits of batter which defines

tanuki udon ''Tanuki'' may refer to: * ''Tanuki'', the Japanese word for the Japanese raccoon dog, a species of canid mammal * ''Tanuki'', a deadwood bonsai technique See also * ''Bake-danuki'', a type of spirit in Japanese mythology that appears in the fo ...

* Aburage, fried tofu which defines kitsune udon *

Kamaboko is a type of Curing (chemistry), cured , a processed seafood product common in Japanese cuisine. It was initially made in the year 1115. Production and uses is made by forming various Purée, pureed deboned whitefish (fisheries term), whit ...

, a surimi often found in

bento A is a Japanese-style single-portion take-out or home-packed meal, often for lunch, typically including rice and packaged in a box with a lid (often a segmented box with different parts of the meal placed in different sections). Outside Japa ...

and hot pot

Wasabi Wasabi (Japanese language, Japanese: , , or , ) or Japanese horseradish (''Eutrema japonicum'' syn. ''Wasabia japonica'') is a plant of the family Brassicaceae, which also includes horseradish and Mustard plant, mustard in other genus, genera. ...

* Yuzukosho

Korean garnishes

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine is the set of foods and culinary styles which are associated with Korean culture. This cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient Prehistoric Korea, agricultural and nomad ...

, decorative garnishes are referred to as ''gomyeong'' (), means to decorate or embellish food. * ''

Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums ( ), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants in the Asteraceae family. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia, and the center of diversity is in China. Co ...

'' leaves *

– a common topping in

, made with

egg white Egg white is the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens, it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms a ...

s and

egg yolk Among animals which produce eggs, the yolk (; also known as the vitellus) is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg whose primary function is to supply food for the development of the embryo. Some types of egg contain no yolk, for example bec ...

s. * ''Gochu'' – red

chili pepper Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...

** Chili thread – a traditional Korean garnish made with chili peppers. * Crushed

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

Green onion Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chive ...

s * Manna lichen *

s *

Shiitake The shiitake (; ''Chinese/black mushroom'' or ''Lentinula edodes'') is a macrofungus native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed around the globe. Taxonomy The fungus was first described scientifically as '' Agaricus edodes'' by ...

* Shredded

vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...

Garnish tools

Tools often used for creating food garnishes include

skewer A skewer is a thin metal or wood stick used to hold pieces of food together. The word may sometimes be used as a metonym, to refer to the entire food item served on a skewer, as in "chicken skewers". Skewers are used while grilling or roasting ...

knives A knife (: knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidenced ...

grater A grater, also known as a shredder, is a kitchen utensil used to grate foods into fine pieces. They come in several shapes and sizes, with box graters being the most common. Other styles include paddles, microplane/rasp graters, and rotary drum ...

toothpick A toothpick is a small thin stick of wood, plastic, bamboo, metal, bone or other substance with at least one and sometimes two pointed ends to insert between teeth to remove detritus, usually after a meal. Toothpicks are also used for festive ...

s, and

parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared Tanning (leather), untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves and goats. It has been used as a writing medium in West Asia and Europe for more than two millennia. By AD 400 ...

cones.

Gallery

File:Fried Rice vermicelli noodle with Ginger and Sesame Wine Chicken by Banej.jpg,

s garnishing a plate of chicken noodles File:Choc cake-candied violets.jpg, A chocolate cake garnished with

violet Violet may refer to: Common meanings * Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue * One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly: ** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants Places United States * Vi ...

s File:Butter cake slice.jpg, A slice of

butter cake A butter cake is a cake in which one of the main ingredients is butter. Butter cake is baked with basic ingredients: butter, sugar, Egg (food), eggs, flour, and leavening agents such as baking powder or baking soda. It is considered one of the q ...

garnished with sliced

s File:Egg Biryani garnished with Cilantro.jpg, Egg Biryani garnished with

cilantro Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the leaves as ha ...

File:Cappuccino bicchiere 1.jpg, A cappuccino garnished with

cocoa powder Dry cocoa solids are the components of cocoa beans remaining after cocoa butter, the fatty component of the bean, is extracted from chocolate liquor, roasted cocoa beans that have been ground into a liquid state. Cocoa butter is 46% to 57% of the ...

File:2220 - Salzburg - Café Demel - Pistachio and ice cream.JPG, Ice cream garnished with

pistachio The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food. In 2022, world ...

pieces and rolled

wafer A wafer is a crisp, often sweet, very thin, flat, light biscuit, often used to decorate ice cream, and also used as a garnish on some sweet dishes. They frequently have a waffle surface pattern but may also be patterned with insignia of the foo ...

s File:Garnished crabcake.jpg, A crabcake with a cream sauce and a garnish of

microgreen Microgreens are Leaf vegetable, vegetable greens (not to be confused with sprouting, sprouts or Shoot (botany), shoots) harvested just after the cotyledon leaves have developed with one set of true leaves. They are used as a visual, flavor and te ...

s File:Cheese tray garnished with red pepper rings and chicory.jpg, Cheese tray garnished with red pepper rings and

chicory Common chicory (''Cichorium intybus'') is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to the Americas and Australia. M ...

File:Bloody Mary 2.jpg, A

Bloody Mary #REDIRECT Bloody Mary {{redirect category shell, {{R ambig{{R from other capitalisation{{R unprintworthy ...

with several garnishes

References

External links

How to Garnish Food

WikiHow wikiHow is an online wiki-style publication featuring informational articles and quizzes on a variety of topics. Founded in 2005 by Internet entrepreneur Jack Herrick, its aim is to create an extensive database of instructional content, using ...

HowToGarnish.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garnish (Food) Food and drink decorations Culinary terminology