https://thechefdojo.com/japanese-vegetable-cutting-techniques/ Skip to content the chef dojo logo * Knives + Japanese Knives 101 + Best Japanese Knives Buying Guide + Best Gyuto under $100 + Japanese Knife Types + Sharpening and Maintenance + Best Whetstone / Sharpening stone + Knife Steel Types Guide * Cookware + Essential Japanese Cookware + Best Japanese Rice Cooker Guide * Ingredients * Skills * Recipes + Easy Japanese Recipes * Blog * About + Contact the chef dojo logo Navigation Menu Navigation Menu * Knives + Japanese Knives 101 + Best Japanese Knives Buying Guide + Best Gyuto under $100 + Japanese Knife Types + Sharpening and Maintenance + Best Whetstone / Sharpening stone + Knife Steel Types Guide * Cookware + Essential Japanese Cookware + Best Japanese Rice Cooker Guide * Ingredients * Skills * Recipes + Easy Japanese Recipes * Blog * About + Contact Ultimate list of Japanese Vegetable Cutting Techniques * by Chef Goku * Skills * November 27, 2021 In this article, we will take a look at some of the common vegetable cutting techniques used in Japanese cooking. You may be familiar with some various terms like dice, slice, chop, and mince. But, what exactly is the difference between all of these? Not sure? Don't worry, neither am I. These vague, seemingly random terms and phrases used to describe cutting techniques are just another intimidating factor for beginners to overcome. Unfortunately, in Japanese cooking, there are approximately 100 times more cutting techniques and names. On the bright side, the techniques are all very precisely/uniquely named, which actually makes them a tiny bit easier to remember and distinguish from each other. Don't bother trying to memorize everything. Just use this list for reference. You will slowly learn the most common techniques as you start cooking more. Always combine these techniques with good, basic knife skills to keep your hands/fingers safe. Once you master these, you will hopefully be able to make your dishes look as good as they taste! Skip ahead? Basic techniques / Intermediate techniques / Advanced techniques / Conclusion Table of Contents show 1 Basic Japanese vegetable cutting techniques 1.1 Wa-giri (Lun Qie ri) - Round slice 1.2 Hangetsu-giri (Ban Yue Qie ri)- Half-moon cuts 1.2.1 How to: 1.3 Icho-giri (ichiyouQie ri) - Ginkgo leaf cuts 1.3.1 How to: 1.4 Ran-giri (Luan Qie ri) - Random shaped cuts 1.4.1 How to: 1.5 Hyoushigi-kiri Pai Zi Mu Qie ri - Wood "clapper" cuts 1.5.1 How to: 1.6 Kakugiri Jiao Qie ri - Cube cuts / dice 1.6.1 How to: 1.7 Sainome-kiri sainoMu Qie ri - Small cube / dice 1.8 Arare-kiri arareQie ri - Extra small cube / dice 1.9 Tanzaku-kiri Duan Ce Qie ri - Thin Rectangular Strips 1.9.1 How to: 1.10 Hitokuchi-dai-ni-kiri hitoKou Da niQie ru / Yi Kou Da niQie ru- Bite sized cuts 1.10.1 How to: 1.11 Kushi-gata-giri kushiXing Qie ri - Comb shaped / Wedge cuts 1.11.1 How to: 1.12 Zaku-kiri zakuQie ri - Sukiyaki Vegetable Cuts 1.12.1 How to: 1.13 Ko-guchi-giri Xiao Kou Qie ri - Small edge cuts 1.13.1 How to: 1.14 Butsu-giri butsuQie ri - Chunk cuts 1.14.1 How to: 1.15 Naname-giri Xie meQie ri - Diagonal cuts 1.15.1 How to: 1.16 Usui-giri Bo iQie ri - Thin slice 2 Intermediate cutting techniques 2.1 Hoso-giri Xi Qie ri - Matchsticks / Julienne 2.1.1 How to: 2.2 Sen-giri senQie ri - Exra fine matchsticks/julienne 2.2.1 How to (Cabbage Sen-giri) 2.3 Mijin-giri mizinQie ri - Fine Mince 2.3.1 How to (e.g. onion): 2.4 Sogi-giri sogiQie ri - Shave cut 2.4.1 How to (e.g. shiitake mushroom): 3 Advanced Cutting Techniques 3.1 Shatoo-kiri shiyatoQie ri - Chateau Cuts 3.1.1 How to: 3.2 Shiraga-negi Bai Fa negi - White haired green onion cuts 3.2.1 How to: 3.3 Sasagaki sasagaki - Bamboo Leaf Cuts 3.3.1 How to: 3.4 Ropponmuki Liu Fang muki - Hexogan Cut 3.4.1 How to: 3.5 Gui muki Katsura-muki - Rotary peel cut 3.5.1 How to katsura-muki: 3.6 Kazari-kiri Shi riQie ri - Decorative Cutting 3.6.1 "Simple" how to video: 4 Conclusion Basic Japanese vegetable cutting techniques Here are the most common, basic techniques and names. With these you can make all basic Japanese recipes. Wa-giri (Lun Qie ri) - Round slice Refers to making round/circular slices from cylindrical items like carrots and cucumbers. Usually a bit thicker than the above mentioned usui-giri. wa-giri japanese vegetable cutting techniques Often used with: carrots, cucumbers, daikon, tomato, eggplant Hangetsu-giri (Ban Yue Qie ri)- Half-moon cuts Cuts vegetables into half-circles. Very common technique for a variety of dishes and presentation. Usually used with long cylndrical vegetables like cucumber and carrots. How to: japanese vegetable cutting techniques 1. Cut the vegetable in half length wise, so that there is one flat side. 2. Place the flat side down, then proceed to cut into multiple slices. Try to keep every slice the same width, so that they cook at the same speed. Often used with: cucumber, radish (daikon), tomato, eggplants, carrots, potato, lotus root Icho-giri (ichiyouQie ri) - Ginkgo leaf cuts Cuts vegetable in quarter circle shapes. Most often used for soups and stews. The quarter-round shape is supposed to resemble a ginkgo leaf (ichou ichiyou in Japanese). How to: japanese vegetable cutting techniques 1. Cut the vegetable in half length wise so that there are 2 long pieces. 2. Cut each half piece lengthwise again (now there are 4 pieces). 3. Keep the two quarters together, then cut vertically to make ginkgo leaf slices Often used with: Carrots, radish (daikon) Ran-giri (Luan Qie ri) - Random shaped cuts Cut vegetables into irregular shapes, but of the same size. Very useful technique as it increases surface area of each piece which allows it to cook faster and absorb more flavor. Often used for stews, curries, and soups. How to: japanese vegetable cutting techniques 1. Start from one end of the vegetable. Cut it diagonally (approximately 45 degree angle). I find it better to rotate the vegetable as opposed to turning your knife. 2. Roll vegetable 90 degrees towards yourself, then make the same diagonal cut 3. Repeat until the entire vegetable is cut Often used with: Carrots, cucumbers, daikon, eggplant Hyoushigi-kiri Pai Zi Mu Qie ri - Wood "clapper" cuts japanese vegetable cutting techniques Cuts vegetables into strips that resemble small rectangular wooden poles, or sticks. Each "pole" is usually 4-5cm long and 1cm thick. The name (hyoushigi Pai Zi Mu ) means wooden "clapper" - a traditional Japanese instrument. It is basically two wooden sticks that are banged together to make a unique sound. If want to know what they are, check out this video here. How to: 1. Cut ingredient into round slices (i.e. wagiri) 2. Cut each round slice into evenly sized strips Often used with: carrots, daikon, potato Kakugiri Jiao Qie ri - Cube cuts / dice japanese vegetable cutting techniques Refers to cutting ingredients into evenly sized cubes. Very useful for soups and stews. After cutting ingredients using the above hyoushigi-kiri (wood clapper method), simply cut the strips into cubes. How to: japanese vegetable cutting techniques 1. First, cut ingredient into thick round slices (i.e wa-giri) 2. Cut each round slice into evenly sized strips 3. Cut strips into cubes Often used with: Carrots, potatoes, daikon Sainome-kiri sainoMu Qie ri - Small cube / dice Smaller version of the above mentioned kaku-giri. Refers to cutting ingredients into small cubes; usually about 1cm in size. Arare-kiri arareQie ri - Extra small cube / dice An even smaller version of the above sainome-kiri and kaku-giri. Each cube is usually about 5mm in size. Tanzaku-kiri Duan Ce Qie ri - Thin Rectangular Strips japanese vegetable cutting techniques Cuts ingredients into thin rectangular strips. Each strip is usually around 4-5cm long, 1cm wide, and 2mm thick. Used for soups and stir fried dishes. How to: Often used with: Carrots, daikon Hitokuchi-dai-ni-kiri hitoKou Da niQie ru / Yi Kou Da niQie ru- Bite sized cuts Cuts ingredients into bite-sized pieces. Pieces are usually around 3cm or less per side. Used often for side dishes or anything that should be eaten in one bite japanese vegetable cutting techniques How to: Often used with: cabbage, potatoes, green pepper (paprika) Kushi-gata-giri kushiXing Qie ri - Comb shaped / Wedge cuts Refers to cutting a round/oval ingredient (e.g. onion) into wedges (or "combs"). The name (kushi-gata) means "comb shaped" in Japanese, as I guess these resembles a comb? How to: japanese vegetable cutting techniques Often used with: Onion, tomato, pumpkin Zaku-kiri zakuQie ri - Sukiyaki Vegetable Cuts Refers to cutting leafy vegetables like cabbage into large pieces around 3-4 cm wide. Usually for use in hot pot/sukiyaki / shabu-shabu. "Zaku" means vegetables for sukiyaki. How to: japanese vegetable cutting techniques Often used with: Cabbage, lettuce, other green leafy vegetables Ko-guchi-giri Xiao Kou Qie ri - Small edge cuts Refers to cutting long narrow ingredients into small round slices. Most often used with green onion (neginoXiao Kou Qie ri). Usually for garnishing or seasoning purposes. Try to keep every slice the same width. How to: * Tips: Take your time and use proper holding technique to avoid chopping your fingers Often used with: green onion, cucumber Butsu-giri butsuQie ri - Chunk cuts Refers to cutting ingredients into large chunks, usually around 3-4cm in width. More often used to refer to cutting meats or fish, but sometimes also used for vegetables like onions and leeks. How to: japanese vegetable cutting techniques Naname-giri Xie meQie ri - Diagonal cuts Refers to cutting ingredient at an angle, usually around 45 degrees or more. Results in oval slices as opposed to circular slices (i.e. wa giri). Useful for cutting long narrow ingredients like cucumbers and green onion. How to: Tips: Rotate the ingredient (e.g. cucumber) instead of your knife. Often used with: cucumber, green onion. Usui-giri Bo iQie ri - Thin slice More of a general term that refers to any basic thin slice. Remember to hold your ingredients and knife correctly to avoid cutting your fingers! japanese vegetable cutting techniques Often used with: cucumber, ginger, onion, eggplant, carrots, green onion Intermediate cutting techniques Intermediate cutting techniques add an extra layer or step on top of the above basic techniques. Generally require a tiny bit more skill and confidence in your knife wielding abilities, but with a little bit of practice are all quite doable for the normal person. Hoso-giri Xi Qie ri - Matchsticks / Julienne japanese vegetable cutting techniques The Japanese equivalent of matchstick or "julienne" cuts. Cuts ingredients into fine strips. "Hoso" translates to fine. Often used for various stir fried dishes like yakisoba, etc. How to: japanese vegetable cutting techniques1. Cut ingredient into rectangular strips (i.e. tanzaku-kiri) 2. Spread rectangular strips out, layered on top of each other 3. Cut rectangular strips into fine stips Often used with: Carrots, cucumbers, daikon, ginger, bell pepper (paprika) Sen-giri senQie ri - Exra fine matchsticks/julienne japanese vegetable cutting techniques If this picture seems familiar, that's because it is. Sen-giri is just an even thinner version of the above mentioned hoso-giri / matchsticks. 'Sen' means thousand, so you can think of it as a thousand cuts. This technique is often used for shredding cabbage to be used for okonomiyaki, salads, and side dishes (i.e. sengiri-kyabetsu - Qian Qie rikiyabetsu ) . How to (Cabbage Sen-giri) japanese vegetable cutting techniques Mijin-giri mizinQie ri - Fine Mince japanese vegetable cutting techniques Refers to cutting ingredients into very small/fine pieces (i.e. mince). Mostly used for ingredients which are for flavoring rather than the main focus (e.g. garlic, ginger, onion, etc.). How to (e.g. onion): japanese vegetable cutting techniques Often used with: ginger, garlic, onion, green onion Sogi-giri sogiQie ri - Shave cut Refers to inserting at a slight angle, and slicing the ingredient using a pull cut. Generally used with thicker ingredients. Increasing the angle of your knife (i.e. making knife more parallel with cutting board) will increase the surface area of each slice, which helps it absorb more flavor in the cooking process. This technique is also often used with meats and fish (e.g. sashimi). How to (e.g. shiitake mushroom): video via kurashiru.com Often used with: shiitake mushroom, Chinese cabbage Advanced Cutting Techniques Most of the advanced vegetable cutting techniques are used by professionals and restaurants for decorative or other visual purposes. They require a lot of confidence, skill, and practice! Shatoo-kiri shiyatoQie ri - Chateau Cuts japanese vegetable cutting techniques Refers to cutting ingredients into an ovalish football /rugby ball type shape. Usually around 5-6cm in length, and used for more Western inspired dishes like beef stew. The name is a bit odd, but I guess the pieces are supposed to resemble a classic French chateau/castle? Sometimes also referred to as Kokotto-kiri (kokotsutoQie ri) for smaller versions. I have no idea what that is in reference to. How to: Shiraga-negi Bai Fa negi - White haired green onion cuts japanese vegetable cutting techniques Refers to cutting the white part of a green onion (i.e. spring onion) into thin hair like strands. Usually used for decorative or garnishing purposes. After cutting, the green onion is soaked in cold water to make them crispier, and remove some of the spicy taste. If you aren't so skilled, there are actually tools specifically made for this cut. How to: Sasagaki sasagaki - Bamboo Leaf Cuts japanese vegetable cutting techniques Refers to cutting long ingredients like burdock root into thin shreds /shavings. The shavings resemble bamboo leaves, hence the name. How to: Ropponmuki Liu Fang muki - Hexogan Cut japanese vegetable cutting techniques Refers to cutting an ingredient into a hexagonal prism -- i.e. a 6-sided shape. Often used for fancy looking stews and other decorative dishes. How to: Often used with: daikon, taro, carrot Gui muki Katsura-muki - Rotary peel cut Refers to transforming a cylinder shaped ingredient (e.g. daikon) into one long, thin peel. The peel is then usually further cut for decorative purposes (i.e. kazari-kiri Shi riQie ri). Katsura-muki is one of the most difficult cutting techniques. It requires immense skill and practice to not break the peel part way, and to keep the thickness consistent all the way around. I sometimes like to refer to this as the toilet paper cut "Katsura" is a type of tree found in Japan. How to katsura-muki: Kazari-kiri Shi riQie ri - Decorative Cutting A general term that refers to any type of decorative cuts. The previously mentioned ropponmuki Liu Fang muki is an example of a basic decorative cut. There are some crazy skilled chefs out there that can turn a carrot into anything beyond your imagination. Check out some cool examples below: japanese vegetable cutting techniques japanese vegetable cutting techniques japanese vegetable cutting techniques japanese vegetable cutting techniques japanese vegetable cutting techniques japanese vegetable cutting techniques japanese vegetable cutting techniques japanese vegetable cutting techniques japanese vegetable cutting techniques japanese vegetable cutting techniques japanese vegetable cutting techniques japanese vegetable cutting techniques "Simple" how to video: Conclusion There you have it -- only 3901 different vegetable cutting techniques and names that you NEED to memorize in order to cook Japanese food. Just kidding. Use this list as a reference for when you need to remember how to make a certain cut, or if you want to get creative with some of your dishes. The basic cutting techniques will come naturally as you begin cooking more often. The intermediate techniques may take a bit more practice before you are confident with them. The advanced techniques give you something to aspire to as you gain more experience and knife skills. How are your knife skills? Let me know in the comments below! Resources: https://www.kikkoman.co.jp/homecook/basic/vege_cut/index.html https://park.ajinomoto.co.jp/recipe/basic/vege_cutting/ https://housefoods.jp/recipe/kihon/cut/cut_04.html https://www.kurashiru.com/ Like this article? Subscribe to my free newsletter for more. [ ] [ ] Sign up * * * * Related Posts how to cook rice with a rice cooker How to cook rice with a rice cooker - Japanese style * by Chef Goku * Skills * June 5, 2022 ... Read More >>How to cook rice with a rice cooker - Japanese style japanese knife skills Basic Japanese Knife Skills 101 * by Chef Goku * Essentials, Japanese Kitchen Knives, Skills * June 6, 2022 ... Read More >>Basic Japanese Knife Skills 101 Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. 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