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A Guide to Cutting techniques

There are 4 popular cutting techniques or knife motions used in culinary culture:

1. In-hand technique
2. Pivot technique
3. Chopping technique, which can be
   1. Up and down chopping technique
   2. Back to front chopping technique
   3. Front to back chopping technique
4. Rocking technique

In Hand technique

In this technique, you hold the food on one hand and hold the knife on the other hand, and slice the food cutting it outward against the index finger in the required thickness. This technique is easy going for your hands and body and is very popular among Indian housewives when they sit in front of the television and prepare food too.

An alternate version is to cut it inward against your thumb finger. Each version is used as per the dexterity of the person.

Pivot Technique

This technique is a combination of vertical slicing as well as horizontal slicing, therefore very powerful in slicing vegetables and fruits with tough skins, like a tomato.

1. Place the tip of the knife on outside edge of the chopping board.
2. Drag the knife backward past the vegetable.
3. Drive the knife down into the vegetable and simultaneously slice forward. As you slice forward, the blade will touch the board too ensuring a clean cut.
4. Lift the rear end of the knife keeping the tip on the board.
5. Drag the knife backward and repeat.

Your wrist motion is the key in this technique. When mastered, this technique is the easiest way to chop or slice vegetables. Plus, there is no thudding noise when the knife comes in contact with the chopping board due to the forward motion of the slice.

Chopping technique

Fairly straight forward, you lift the knife completely off the chopping board and:

• push it straight down on the vegetable, in which case it is up and down chopping.
• push straight down and after it hits the end, slice forward (forward chopping).
• push it straight down and after it hits the end, slice backward (backward chopping).

Up and down chopping can be fast and best suited to cut tall vegetables, such as a cabbage or a heavy bunch of leaves. However, they make a thudding noise as it hammers down to the chopping board. The forward and backward motions at the end ensure clear cuts.

Rocking Technique

This technique works only if the knife has a rounded belly; a straight belly cannot be 'rocked'. The technique is fairly easy: hold the knife steadily at its handle, place the palm of the other hand over the end of the knife, and rock the knife like a seesaw. This technique is best for mincing herbs or sliced vegetables.

What technique must you use largely depends on what you want to cut and what knife do you have.

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