Japanese Artist Grates Daikon Radishes into Adorable Food Sculptures

Grated Daikon Radish Art by Masanori Kono

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We’ve seen plenty of amazing food art recently, in a variety of forms. From 3D latte art to avocado pit carvings, there seems to be no shortage of creativity when food is the canvas. The latest culinary craft to catch our eye is Masanori Kono’s adorable animal sculptures made from grated daikon radishes.

Between working at a photobooth company and running a flea market at the weekends, Kono gets creative with grated daikon radishes, making adorable sculptures placed in nabe—a Japanese version of a hot pot. Typically served during cold winter months, nabe is a wholesome meal that keeps you warm. Taking inspiration from kyaraben bento art—where food is styled to look like animals, people, or pop-culture icons—Kono’s creations not only warm your belly, but also warm your heart.

Kono’s first project involved a grated radish polar bear sitting in a steaming pot of chopped pork belly and Chinese cabbage. After posting a picture on Twitter, his creation quickly became popular, and he posted his recipe on CookPad. Soon after, many other radish creations were born, including a laid-back llama, a panda sitting among steamy leaves, and a family of capybaras chilling in a hot nabe bath.

If you love Kono’s nabe creations, he has a book titled Daikon Oroshi Art that’s full of pictures and recipes. It’s currently available to purchase on Amazon.

Japanese food artist Masanori Kono makes grated daikon radish sculptures in bowls of nabe.

Grated Daikon Radish Art by Masanori Kono

Grated Daikon Radish Art by Masanori Kono

Grated Daikon Radish Art by Masanori Kono

Grated Daikon Radish Art by Masanori Kono

Grated Daikon Radish Art by Masanori Kono

Grated Daikon Radish Art by Masanori Kono

Masanori Kono: Twitter
h/t : [Spoon Tamago, Swiss Miss]

All images via Masanori Kono.

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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