Cutting Techniques

Cutting methods, for the most part, are universal in all cultures, such as slice, julienne, dice, etc. But there are a few that are unique to Chinese cooking: parallel cutting, and roll-cutting. The most important part in preparing Chinese food is to cut the pieces uniformly. This not only ensures that all the pieces will be cooked evenly, but also makes the dish most presentable.

Slice

To slice, tip the cutting knife up on an angle, to use the far end (away from you) of the blade. While holding the food and the cutting knife firmly, cut straight down. At the end of the slice, move the left (guiding) hand sideways according to the width of cut desired. Slide the cutting knife back up to the start position. Using the knuckles of your free hand as a guide, shift the ingredient under the cutting knife. Then repeat the steps to cut more slices.

Usual slices are about 1/8" thick or less.

Tip: DO NOT lift the knife edge above the knuckles! This prevents you from accidentally cutting your knuckles.

Julienne

True julienne is about matchstick size. For a coarser cut, stack three or four slices high and slice down through them, at the same width (to make a fine square section). For matchstick julienne, start with 1/8-inch slices, and cut them into sticks. To shred food into fine slivers, begin by cutting paper-thin slices, then cut across them in the same way to create thin strip.

Dice

Dice should be regular and all the same size. Depending on how precise the dice need to be, the ingredient is usually first cut into even strips or julienne and then the strips or julienne are sliced.

Dice can even be divided further into two terms: Brunoise is a very fine dice, slightly smaller than 1/8 inch, while Macedoine is a slightly larger dice, usually a little smaller than 1/4 inch.

Mince

Mince, in culinary terms, means to cut or chop into small pieces. To mince, start by cutting the ingredient into thin strips, then dice the strips. Hold the handle of the cutting knife in one hand and, with the other, hold down the tip of the blunt edge of the blade. Using the tip as a pivot, raise and lower the blade in a chopping motion, moving it from side to side to mince everything evenly. Scoop up minced ingredients occasionally, flip them over, and keep chopping to ensure even mincing.

Parallel

Parallel cutting is used to cut broad, thin slices of meat or vegetables. Lay the food close to the edge of the board with the fingers of your free hand flat on top of it. Angle the cutting knife so that it's almost parallel to the board, slanting slightly downward. Move it slowly and carefully back and forth to slice the food, paying close attention to avoid cutting your fingers.

Roll

This technique is used for long vegetables, like carrots or cucumber. It makes attractive pieces and exposes more of the surface area of the vegetable. Hold the blade perpendicular to the board and cut straight down diagonally. Then roll the vegetable a quarter-turn, and cut straight down again at the same diagonal angle. Continue rolling and cutting in this way all along the length of the vegetable.

                                                刀功

刀功在世界各地，各种文化中都是很普遍的，像片啊，丝啊，块啊等等。但是有些切法却只在中式烹饪中才有：平行切法和卷切法。做中国菜最重要的就是要切的大小均匀一致。这样不仅可以让菜炒得比较均匀，而且看起来也比较可口。

片

对于切片而言，先把刀的一端抬起，成三角形，然后用离你较远的那一段的刀刃来切菜。切的时候要握紧刀和要切的菜。切完后，要根据片的厚薄，移动左手的位置。以手的指关节作为引导不断地变换刀下菜的位置。然后继续重复这个动作，切出更多的片来。一般来说，每片大约八分之一英寸厚薄。
注意事项：不要把刀抬起高过指关节。这样可以防止你切到自己的指关节。

丝

真正丝的大小很火柴棍差不多。如果是切的粗糙一点的话，可以把三四片叠放一起，以相同的宽度切下去。 如果是想切的跟火柴棍一样的话，需要先把菜切成八分之一英寸薄的薄片，然后再切成丝。要想把食物切成更薄的丝，就需要先把食物切成纸一样的薄片，然后再以相同的方式切成更薄的丝。

块

块必须切的大小整齐一致。根据需要，先把材料切成条或者丝， 然后再把条或者丝切成片就可以了。

块可以进一步分为两大类：丁是一种很小的块，比八分之一英寸还要小，而Macedoine则是一种较大的块，通常比四分之一英寸略小一点点。

丁

丁在烹饪术语中是指把菜切或者剁成很小的碎片。想要把菜切碎，先要把菜切成很细的条，然后再把条切成小方块就可以了。一只手紧握住菜刀，另一只手按住刀背的顶端。以刀背的顶端为轴，上下移动刀刃，从一边慢慢移到另一边，然后把菜很均匀地切碎。偶尔把已经切碎的菜翻到上面来，继续剁以保证切的更为均匀。

平行切法

平行切法主要是用来切一些比较宽，比较薄的肉和蔬菜。先把菜平放在案板的边缘，然后变换菜刀的角度使之与案板平行，轻轻的切下去。 慢慢小心地来回移动菜刀，把菜切成片， 要特别注意不要切到自己的手指。

卷切法

这种切法主要是用来切一些比较长的蔬菜，像萝卜和黄瓜。这种切法切出来的菜更诱人，而且更多保留了菜的本色。使刀刃垂直于案板，然后斜切下去。再把蔬菜旋转九十度，以相同的角度垂直切下去。继续这样旋转，以同样的方式切下去就可以了。