Food For Thought Friday- Knife Skills

16 Oct Food For Thought Friday- Knife Skills

This week’s edition of Food for Thought Friday explores the many dimensions of knife skills. Proper knife skills are critical, both to ensure safety and as a foundation for more advanced culinary methods. Below are descriptions of some introductory knife skill terms.

Dicing – The process of cutting food into small pieces, approximately 1/4^th inch to 1/8^th inch in size.

Cubing – The process of cutting food into small cubes, approximately ½ inch to 1 inch in size.

Mincing – The process of finely chopping food into very small pieces, a maximum 1/8^th inch in size.

Grating – The process of rubbing food against a coarse serrated surface such as a micro planer or box grater to break it down into small pieces.

Julienne – A process of cutting produce typically potatoes, zucchini, or carrots, into long, narrow strips that are approximately 2 inches in length and 1/16^th inch in diameter.

Chiffonade – A chopping technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables are cut into long, thin strips.