Different Cutting Styles

Uniformity is the usual goal in cutting food. It allows for even heating and gives food an appetizing appearance. Cutting styles include slicing, shredding, dicing (cubing), mincing and peeling.

Slicing is accomplished by moving the food under the blade while keeping the point of the blade firmly on the cutting board. The base of the knife is lifted up and down with a forward and backward motion. Sliced food may further be julienne. These delicate sticks are usually 1 to 3 inches long and only 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick. Cutting leaf vegetables into thin strips is known as shredding or chiffonade. This may be done by first rolling the leaves into cigar-like shapes and then cutting them into shreds. Hand shredders and food processors with different sizes of shredding blades may also be used. Dicing is cutting food into even-sized cubes. Chopping food into very fine pieces is called mincing. This is done by placing the holding hand on the tip of the knife and rocking the base up and own in short strokes while moving it across the food
several times, and then repeating as necessary.

Peeling has the specific objective of removing the skin. The peel and rind can be cut from an orange or any thick-skinned fruit by first cutting off in a circular fashion the top of the fruit’s skin, then scoring the skin through to the flesh of the fruit in four places. The skin can then be peeled in segments down from the top. Fruits can also be peeled directly with a paring knife. Avocados can be stripped of their peel by cutting the avocado from stem to stern through to the pit. Each half is cupped in the hands and twisted gently to separate the halves. The seed (nut) can be removed with the fingers or the tip of a sharp knife. At this point the avocado can be scooped out with a large serving spoon or peeled and sliced.