CULINARY CUTTING TERMS

CULINARY CUTTING TERMS refer to the terms used in cutting or trimming vegetables.

CUTTING is a very interesting procedure which is a must for almost every cooking.

This can be enjoyed if done in a proper way and by using the proper gadgets.

It is also a challenging job because each vegetable has a different size, shape, and texture.

In this post let us explore different processes usually done for different vegetables using different cutting gadgets.

Apart from this many electric gadgets have come on the market to simplify the job, such as food processors, electric choppers, etc.

In the following post, we will be using a number of culinary cutting terms, which will help you with your knowledge of different types of cutting processes.

Also, you will more easily follow the cookery book terminology,

CULINARY CUTTING TERMS-CUTTING TOOLS

1) First and the foremost thing needed is CuttingTtray.

This comes in different sizes shapes and materials, such as wood, plastics, stainless steel, etc.

This is used as the base on which vegetables are cut.

2)Then comes KNIFE. This comes in a number of sizes and is used for different purposes, which are usually steel or iron.

The Iron knife has to be maintained otherwise it gets rusted.

The knife is used for cutting, mincing, chopping, and dicing.

3)Now comes PEELER used for removing the outer skin from vegetables and fruits. These are also in different sizes and shapes.

4)GRATER; This is used for grating ie; to divide food in various sizes by rubbing it on a surface with sharp projections.

Again it comes in various sizes and shapes.

5)SQUEEZER; It is used to remove juice from vegetables and fruits. Examples are lemon, ginger, sweet lime, oranges, etc

6)SLICER; It means to cut the vegetable in round or 1/2 moon size, very thin pieces, as in salads,

cucumber and onions are cut.

ALMOST ALL THE CUTTING PROCEDURES ARE DONE BY CHEFS-KNIFE (BIG KNIFE)

NOTE; 1)When keeping the cutting tray on the kitchen counter, be sure you keep a damp kitchen towel beneath so that it will be firm and not slip while cutting vegetables.

2)Form a claw to hold the vegetable and take the support of the back side of the fingers while cutting.

3)Grip of the knife should be firm, not shaky.

Below are the common culinary cutting terms.

(I have tried to explain it through images).

1)SLIT; This is the procedure where the vegetable is cut in half, lengthwise to remove seeds as for Green chilies (for garnishing).

It is also done for stuffing Lady’s finger, Bringal, Bitter gourd, etc.

2)WEDGES; This is basically done to remove seeds from vegetables and fruits. Example lemon, tomatoes, capsicum, etc.

3)PEEL; It is to remove or strip off the outer skin or a rind of a vegetable or fruit with the help of a knife or a peeler that has a specially designed blade. For example papaya, carrots, etc.,

4)CHOP; Chopping refers to cutting of leafy vegetables into medium size. For Example leafy vegetables.

5)GRATE; It means to finely divide vegetables in various sizes by rubbing them on a surface with sharp projections.

6)MINCE; To cut vegetables into the smallest size possible to get their maximum flavor. An example is Garlic or any vegetables.

7)DICE; It refers to cutting the vegetable into very small cubes about 1/4 th inch

8)SHRED; It means to cut vegetables into narrow strips with a knife or shredder. Example cabbage.

9)JULIENCE; It means to cut vegetables into thin match-stick-sized stripes (2 inches long). Examples; Ginger, Carrots, Radishes, Capsicum, etc.

10)CHIFFONADE; In this, leaves like Basil or Palak leaves are kept one on the other(6-8 nos).

Then it is rolled and then cut into strips.

If we cut in this method the leaves do not turn black as it is not bruised.

11)ROUNDEL CUT; Simple round or oval cutting for the conical or cylindrical vegetables. Examples are Carrots, Radishes, and Cucumber.

12)HALF MOON CUT; In this method, the vegetable is cut into two halves,(from the roll cut)ie., first a cylindrical vegetable such as a cucumber, carrot, or radish is cut horizontally or vertically and then it is cut as in roll cut to get half moon pieces.

13)CRUSHING; In this method, the vegetable is crushed with the help of a heavy object like a stone, rolling pin, or even a big heavy knife as chefs do for garlic, ginger, etc. This gives a better flavor to the food as some juice comes out while crushing.

14)BATTONET; It is to cut the vegetable into a cubical 2-inch pieces as potato is cut for french fries

15)SLICE; To cut the vegetable into very thin portions using the Roundel cut method. For example, cucumber, onions, and carrots are cut in this manner for salads.