Cooking Terms Part 1

To cut food into small, uneven pieces

• Chop

• Dice

• Mince

• Shred

To cut food into very fine, uneven pieces

• Chop

• Mince

• Dice

• Cube

To cut food into small, equal size squares about ½ inch in size.

• Cube

• Dice

• Chop

• Mince

To cut food into small, equal size squares about ¼ to 1/8 inch in size

• Dice

• Cube

• Grate

• Slice

To reduce food into small pieces by pressing and rubbing it against the “teeth” of a grater.

• Grate

• Strain

• Chop

• Mince

To cut or break food into long, thin strips by using a knife, fork, or grater.

• Shred

• Grate

• Peel

• Chop

To remove the stem and the very thin layer of peel of a fruit or vegetable with a paring knife or peeler.

• Chop

• Shred

• Peel

• Pare

To remove the outer layer/skin, by stripping or pulling off with your finger or a knife

• Peel

• Pare

• Shred

• Dice

To make small, straight, shallow cuts with a slicing knife in the surface of a food; often done to tenderize meat or to let sauces soak in.

• Score

• Tenderize

• Shred

• mince

To cut food into large, thick or thin flat pieces with a slicing knife. Use a sawing motion while gently pressing the knife down.

• Slice

• Chop

• Dice

• Mince