Whether you’re an aspiring chef who is looking to develop the skills that are needed for the trade or if you just want to take your dicing and slicing skills in your own kitchen up a level, here are three of the most common types of cuts in cooking you should master.

 

 

Large Dice

 

This is one of the most basic culinary cuts; it’s also one of the easiest to make. It’s a square cut that is commonly used for things like potatoes and melons. This cut results in ¾” cubes. Requires less precision than some of the other cuts, and should definitely use a larger blade.

 

 

Medium Dice

 

This cut is just like the large dice, except it’s slightly smaller; it should measure as an approximately ½” cube. Diced tomatoes are usually cut with a medium dice cut.

 

 

Julienne

 

This cut looks kind of like a thin matchstick in that the slices are long and thin. The cut should measure 1/8” by 1/8” by 2 ½” and it’s often used to cut potatoes, carrots, and celery. This is one of the more difficult cuts to make as it requires a lot of precision.

 

Brunoise

 

To execute a brunoise cut, the food must first be julienned, then turned a slight quarter and diced again to create approximately 1/8-inch cubes. This technique is ideal for onions, carrots, leeks, and celery— but may also be used when cutting bell peppers and hard root vegetables such as turnips and beets. This cut isn’t great for preparing softer vegetables like cauliflower and green beans.

 

Chiffonade

 

The chiffonade method is best used when cutting herbs into long ribbons. Stack fresh mint or basil leaves, roll them tightly, and cut across “hamburger style.” This technique is also great for leafy greens like kale, collards, and spinach.

 

 

All culinary cuts need to be done with a sharp knife for maximum precision. To produce the best visual and taste in your culinary productions and all your types of cuts in cooking you need sharp quality knives. For fast, affordable, and effective knife sharpening in Orange County, contact OC Knife Sharpening, a mobile knife sharpening service that makes home visits for your convenience.