SHUN CUTLERY BLOG: KNIFE EDUCATION

Essential Knife Cuts Every Home Chef Should Master

Mastering a few core knife cuts can transform your time in the kitchen. Whether you're prepping for a quick weeknight stir-fry or plating a dish with precision, the right cut enhances both flavor and presentation. With a Shun knife in hand, you’ll find each movement smoother, sharper, and more satisfying.

Chef slicing ginger with a Shun Dual Core Nakiri knife on a hinoki cutting board, showcasing the layered Damascus pattern and flat blade profile.Chef slicing ginger with a Shun Dual Core Nakiri knife on a hinoki cutting board, showcasing the layered Damascus pattern and flat blade profile.

Why Knife Skills Matter

Uniform cuts aren’t just for looks; they help your food cook evenly and taste better. When your vegetables are the same size, they caramelize more consistently. When your herbs are finely and cleanly chopped, their oils stay intact.

Shun knives are crafted with thin, hard Japanese steel, designed to glide effortlessly through ingredients. This means less pressure, cleaner cuts, and more control.

Baton, Batonnet, and Julienne

These foundational cuts are all about precision and consistency.

Side-by-side comparison of baton, batonnet, and julienne carrot cuts with labeled measurements for width, height, and length.Side-by-side comparison of baton, batonnet, and julienne carrot cuts with labeled measurements for width, height, and length.
Chef using a Shun Classic Chef's knife to slice carrots into batonnet sticks on a hinoki cutting board.Chef using a Shun Classic Chef's knife to slice carrots into batonnet sticks on a hinoki cutting board.
  1. Square off the sides of your ingredient.
  2. Cut into even planks.
  3. Stack the planks and slice lengthwise into sticks.

Dice

A dice is simply a baton, batonnet, or julienne stick cut crosswise into cubes. Once the sticks are cut, square them up, then cut into cubes.

Visual comparison of carrot dice cuts including large, medium, small, and fine dice (brunoise) with labeled dimensions.Visual comparison of carrot dice cuts including large, medium, small, and fine dice (brunoise) with labeled dimensions.
Carrots sliced into thin square pieces using the paysanne technique for quick cooking.Carrots sliced into thin square pieces using the paysanne technique for quick cooking.

Paysanne

A thinner version of a small or medium dice. Once you have your baton or batonnet, cut crosswise into 1/8 in. thick slices. This cut speeds cooking.

Carrots sliced into angled half-moons using the fermière cut, showing natural variation in shape and size.Carrots sliced into angled half-moons using the fermière cut, showing natural variation in shape and size.

Fermière

The finished shape of the slice can vary, depending on the shape of the food you’re slicing, but all pieces should be uniform in size. For example, you could cut a carrot in half lengthwise, then slice into half-moons. 

Carrots cut into round slices, also known as rondelles, ideal for soups and sautés.Carrots cut into round slices, also known as rondelles, ideal for soups and sautés.

Rondelles

Take advantage of the shapes of cylindrical foods, like carrots or cucumber. Simply cut them crosswise into even slices.

Mince

Mincing is chopping smaller foods, such as fresh herbs or garlic, into very fine pieces—smaller than a fine dice.

Shun Premier Santoku knife resting on a hinoki cutting board: Click to shop the Premier Santoku.Shun Premier Santoku knife resting on a hinoki cutting board: Click to shop the Premier Santoku.
Close-up of a Shun knife mincing fresh herbs on a wooden cutting board with a fine rocking motion.Close-up of a Shun knife mincing fresh herbs on a wooden cutting board with a fine rocking motion.

Gather washed and dried herbs or peeled, trimmed garlic cloves tightly together. Rock your knife through the pile, creating slices.

Overhead view of a chef mincing herbs using a Shun knife and controlled rocking technique.Overhead view of a chef mincing herbs using a Shun knife and controlled rocking technique.

Turn the food 90° and continue cutting.

Chef using a two-handed technique to mince herbs finely with a Shun knife, stabilizing the blade with fingertips.Chef using a two-handed technique to mince herbs finely with a Shun knife, stabilizing the blade with fingertips.

Place the palm or fingertips of your non-knife hand on the spine near the tip of the knife. Using the tip as a pivot point, rock the blade through the food until the mince is as fine
as you want.

Chiffonade

Chiffonade is a method of cutting leafy herbs, such as basil, or leafy greens, such as kale, into ribbons. It makes cooking and eating leafy greens faster and easier or makes a beautiful herbal garnish.

Shun Premier Chef’s knife on a wooden surface with fresh basil, tomatoes, mozzarella, and chiffonade-cut herbs. Click to shop the Premier Chef's Knife.Shun Premier Chef’s knife on a wooden surface with fresh basil, tomatoes, mozzarella, and chiffonade-cut herbs. Click to shop the Premier Chef's Knife.
Basil leaves stacked and aligned on a cutting board, prepared for chiffonade slicing technique.Basil leaves stacked and aligned on a cutting board, prepared for chiffonade slicing technique.

Stack several leaves on top of each other so that the stem ends are lined up.

Hands rolling stacked basil leaves tightly into a cylinder in preparation for chiffonade slicing.Hands rolling stacked basil leaves tightly into a cylinder in preparation for chiffonade slicing.

Starting from the sideof the stack, roll leaves into a bundle.

Chef slicing rolled basil leaves into thin ribbons using a Shun knife, demonstrating chiffonade technique.Chef slicing rolled basil leaves into thin ribbons using a Shun knife, demonstrating chiffonade technique.

Cut the bundle crosswise into thin strips.

Build a Strong Foundation with Every Slice

Mastering these foundational cuts equips you with the essential techniques every home chef should know. These skills not only improve the look of your dishes but enhance texture, cook time, and flavor.

Now that you know the cuts, let’s put them into practice. In the next article, we’ll walk you through step-by-step techniques for prepping onions, peppers, and vegetable florets—the building blocks of countless recipes. Read now: Knife Techniques for Everyday Ingredients.

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