How did the art of ice carving spread?
Hearing about the unusual use of ice from countrymen who had traveled to Russia to see the famous ice castle, a French chef developed the idea of carving serving bowls of ice to keep perishable foods from spoiling and to decorate the table of the king. This idea may have been a necessity, because at the time, spoiled food or illness from a dinner could cost the chef his head in a guillotine. The French carried the art with them to the Orient, and today the Japanese are the finest and most prolific carvers in the world.
