Carbonating Food at Home

In S1E7 of America's Culinary Cup, Buddha Lo carbonated grapes for his hamachi crudo - but slicing them released the CO₂ immediately, losing the effect. Padma Lakshmi pointed it out: slicing your grapes took the carbonation out of them. Carbonation involves infusing solid food with CO₂ using a whipped cream siphon or a sealed container with dry ice. Grapes, watermelon, and strawberries take on an exciting fizzy texture. The critical rule: serve carbonated items whole and cut them only at the last second, or not at all. The gas escapes the moment the cell structure is broken.