Japanese cuisine is so rich that it even has cutting techniques named after it. Cutting techniques can even affect its flavor and texture, in addition to improving the appearance of food, turning cooking into art.
The Japanese cutting techniques are called yasai no kiri kata [野菜の切り方], which literally means ways of cutting vegetables. Each type of cut has its own specific name, there are dozens that we will briefly mention in the article.
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Japanese cutting technique - Video
If you enjoy Japanese cuisine and want to venture into the kitchen, learning some cutting techniques can be quite useful! Take a look at each of them below:
USUGIRI [薄切り] - Thin slices
Usugiri consists of thin slices. Suitable for salads, pickles, frying, stews. Used with vegetables like cucumber, ginger, onion, eggplant, scallions, etc.
NANAMEGIRI [斜め切り] - Diagonal cut
Nanamegiri This involves cutting against the grain diagonally into oval slices. Used for vegetables such as green onions, cucumbers, carrots, etc.
We also have Naname Usugiri [斜め薄切り], which are thin slices cut diagonally. Recommended for salads. Used with vegetables like scallions, celery, etc.
WAGIRI [輪切り] - Round slice
Description: round cut, with the thickness varying according to the recipe. Recommended for dishes cooked over low heat. Used in vegetables like cucumber, daikon, tomato, eggplant, carrot, lotus root, etc.
RANGIRI [乱切り] - Random cut
Description: cut in a random shape, but of the same size. Helps to cook faster and more evenly. Recommended for stews. Used in vegetables like carrot, cucumber, daikon, eggplant, lotus root, burdock, etc.
KOGUCHIGIRI [小口切り] - Thin slices
Description: slice thinly. The thickness varies according to the recipe, but it is around 2 to 3 mm. Used for vegetables such as green onion, cucumber, etc.
KUSHIGATAGIRI [くし形切り] - Comb cut
Description: cut spherical vegetables into 6 or 8 slices. Used for vegetables such as cabbage, onion, tomato, lemon, etc.
MIJINGIRI [みじん切り] - Evenly minced
Description: chop into small, uniform pieces. Used in vegetables like onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, green onion, etc.
HANGETSUGIRI [半月切り] - Half Moon
Description: "moon crescent" cut – to cut into semi-circles. Suitable for soups and stews. Used in vegetables such as cucumber, daikon, tomato, eggplant, carrot, lotus root, etc.
ICHOGIRI [いちょう切り] - Ginkgo Leaf
Description: Ginkgo leaf cut "Indicated for soups and stews. Used in vegetables such as daikon, carrot, etc.
HYOSHIGIRI [拍子木切り] - Cut into sticks
Description: cut into sticks [5 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm]. Recommended for frying and stews. Used in vegetables such as daikon, carrot, etc.
SAINOMEGIRI [さいの目切り] - Cut into cubes
Description: cube cutting – usually, the thickness is 1 cm. Suitable for soups and salads. Used in vegetables such as daikon, carrot, cucumber, etc.
HOSOGHIRI [細切り] - Thinly sliced
Descriptionthin strips [4-5 cm x 3 mm] Suitable for stews and salads. Used with vegetables such as cucumber, burdock, potato, daikon, carrot, green onion, bell pepper, etc.
SENGIRI [千切り] - Julienne Cut
Description: finely chopped, in the style Julienne. Used in vegetables like cabbage, ginger, daikon, carrot, etc.
ZAKUGIRI [ザク切り] - Grosso Cut
Description: thick cut, generally 3 to 4 cm wide, and not uniform. Recommended for frying and stews of the style hot pot. Used in vegetables like cabbage, green vegetables, tomato, spring onion, etc.
BUTSUGIRI [ぶつ切り] - Rustic chop
Description: cut into pieces of approximately 3 cm. Suitable for stews. Used in vegetables such as green onion, celery, etc.
TANZAKUGIRI [短冊切り] - Cut Paper Strips
Description: Cut "paper strips". Suitable for salads and soups. Used with vegetables like daikon, carrot, konnyaku, etc.
SASAGAKI [ささがき] - Pencil sharpener
DescriptionPeel the tip of the vegetable, as if sharpening a pencil with a knife. Suitable for salads and soups. Used with vegetables like burdock, carrot, etc.
SOGIGIRI [そぎ切り] - Angular cut
Description: slice at an angle [45-degree angle]. Helps to cook faster and more evenly. Used in vegetables like mushrooms, cabbage, Swiss chard, etc.
HANA RENKON [花レンコン] - Lotus Roots
Description: shape the lotus root into the form of a flower and slice it. Used in vegetables like lotus root.
KAZARIKIRI [飾り切り] - Decorative Cut
Descriptiondecorative cut. Some examples are the flower-shaped carrots [hanagiri] made by hand or with special molds and the shiitake with flower-shaped incisions on its surface. Suitable for decoration. Used on vegetables like mushrooms. shiitake, carrot, lotus root, etc.
