If you have been cooking long enough, you will know that the tomatoes in your sandwich taste different from those in your salad. Ever wonder why? Well, it's because they were cut differently. Different cutting techniques can bring out different flavours and textures of the same ingredient. One of the first lessons of culinary school is the various types of Cutting Techniques. You are in luck; we bring this lesson to you on your screens. So scroll away and learn about 10 Cutting Techniques Everyone Should Know.
Julienne, or French cut, is when the food is cut into long, thin strips, somewhat like a matchstick. We see this cut commonly placed in French fries and cucumbers for Korean cold noodles.
Did you know sharper knives are safer than knives with dull blades?
Much like Juliene, the Batonnet also resembles long strips or a plank, only more rectangular and thicker. Batonnet is French for “little stick” and measures approximately 1⁄4 by 1⁄4 by 2–2+1⁄2 inches.
Mince is a miniaturised version of a Brunoise. Commonly used for ingredients like garlic, ginger, fresh herbs, and onion, as it helps evenly distribute flavours. The Mince cut creates a fine, almost paste-like consistency.
Chopping is the most commonly used kitchen cutting technique.
This cut is naturally irregular in shape and size, so if you are not interested in presentation and simply want to get to eating, the chop is your go-to knife technique.
Dice is the most commonly used cutting technique. To get a dice, you first cut your vegetable in a Batonnet and then bundle it together to cut across, creating small cubes of various sizes as per your requirement.
The best way to describe a Brunoise cut is tiny cubes. To get a Brunoise, you first need to cut your vegetable in a Julienne cut, then bundle it together to cut, dicing them into 1/8-inch cubes. The size of these cubes separates them from a typical mince, which you can get by making them smaller.
Slicing simply means cutting into consistent, even pieces.
Another basic but essential knife skill everyone should know is slicing. The thickness of these slices can be adjusted according to preference. The slicing method often requires cuts along the natural shape of the ingredient, so a tomato slice will be circular, but a slice of rectangular bread loaf would be square or rectangular.
The Chiffonade cut is for cutting into shreds. It is a technique used for cutting leafy vegetables like spinach, cabbage, lettuce, and herbs. To make this cut, you roll up the vegetable and cut horizontally to get thin strips.
The Oblique cut is ideal for glazing or stir-frying.
This unique cutting technique creates pieces with two angled sides. Most commonly used on carrots and zucchini, the Oblique is also called the “roll cut”, as the method requires rolling the ingredient a quarter turn after each cut.
That was our list of 10 Cutting Techniques Everyone Should Know. Feel free to refer to this list the next time you host a dinner.
Updated on 23 Jul 2025
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