Art of creating visually enticing dishes with right balance of colour and texture

Pune: Behind every drool-inducing photograph of molten cheese oozing off a pizza slice or that well-balanced fully loaded burger is a food stylist at work, giving that perfect look and effect to make food irresistible.
The art involves combining in-depth knowledge of food science, colour balance, strategic plating, and food preservation to make dishes look visually enticing.
Food stylist and chef Nitin Tandon recalls his first assignment in 1994 when he had been on-boarded by a company to create a fake ice cream for an advertisement. "I used icing sugar to make it look real and that's where the journey began. Art is the key differentiator for food stylists. Over the years, technology has evolved, the craft has evolved, and there are better tools at hand now for food styling," he said. Tandon has trained over ten food stylists in the country.
One doesn't need to be a chef to learn food styling; an eye for aesthetics, design, and colour balance can help style food effectively. Swati Desai, a food stylist and table-top director, said, "I don't have a culinary background, but that never came in my way. The kitchen was never an alien space for me. I use my practical and design experience for food styling. However, having a culinary background can help because you then understand the chemistry of food and how it reacts in different environments."
While there are no courses that can teach one food styling, industry experts said that creating mood boards and understanding the context of the advertisement or photo shoot can help aspiring food stylists get an understanding of the industry demands.
Rushad Cama, who is a trained chef and food stylist, said that he started off on his food styling journey by assisting a senior food stylist. "When you're trained to be a chef, you also learn how to make food look aesthetic. You prop things up in a particular order to make them stand out and look more appealing. For example, if it's an ice cream advertisement, we need to lower the temperature of the studio, and in some cases use fake ice cream made from sugar dough or frosting to ensure it doesn't melt during the shoot," he said.
Adhyayan Sahay, a 23-year-old food stylist, said that there are various substitutes like acrylic ice used by soft drink companies to ensure it doesn't keep melting during the day-long shoot or a special type of glue used to substitute molten cheese so that it looks visually appealing. There's food for the stomach, and then there's food for the camera. This is one such thing.
Food stylists said that some companies now prefer to show genuine food items instead of using substitutes, but with a twist. For instance, to make melted cheese look thicker or creamier, chefs mix some cornflour in it to give it that consistency.
Food stylists work with different industries advertising, FMCG, consumer durables companies as well as for food bloggers. "There are very few food stylists in India at present. It could cost companies anywhere between Rs 10,000 and Rs 50,000 per day to hire a food stylist for preparation and styling of food," said an advertising professional.
While some food stylists come with their own props, there are others who rent them out. These props include crockery and cutlery sets, backgrounds, knives, wooden boards, and other fancy food plating options. "It all depends on the scale of the shoot. If it's a shoot for a large company, food stylists typically list their requirements and the art directors get props based on the requests. For smaller shoots, props are usually rented out or brought by the stylist," said Rushad Cama.
Apart from independent or freelance food stylists, there are agencies that also specialise in food styling and consultancy. "We have a team of photographers, videographers, editors, and food stylists, and we also have our own studio space for food styling projects or shoots," said Alok Verma, co-founder, Secret Sauce Studios, who has worked with over 1000 F&B brands.