Art of Cutting in Chinese Food Culture
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Chinese food has a great impact over the world food culture as a whole. It is ranked as one of the best tasty food in the world. Chinese foods have a wonderful taste with an aesthetic appearance. The aroma, taste and appearance of the food have made �Chinese food' as one of the best food in the world. Chinese have mastered the art of cooking and the art of presenting in the best way.
Chinese have adopted a number of techniques in cutting and chopping foods for cooking. This is because Chinese give equal importance to the taste and appearance of foods.
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Different types of cutting techniques are roll, mince, parallel, slice, dice and julienne. These techniques of cutting foods are adopted according to the types of foods. Chinese use the technique of roll cutting especially to cut long vegetables like cucumber or carrots. This way vegetable look attractive and also it exposes the surface of that vegetable. The cutting is done by holding the blade perpendicular to the board and cutting it down straight in a diagonal position.
The literal meaning of mince in cooking terms refers cutting of vegetables into small pieces. Chinese prepare foods with a proper cut giving a good shape of it. In this technique, ingredients are cut into thin strips and thin strips are dice. By using the tip as a pivot, the blade is moved up and down and moves from side to side to cut everything in an eventual manner. The process finally gives a fine cutting that adds to the presentation of food.
Technique of parallel cutting is applied to broad and thin slices of vegetables and meat. The food is kept close to the edge of the board with fingers on free hand flat on top of it. The knife is placed in a proper angle almost parallel to the board and slanting it downward. Food is sliced in a slow movement to avoid cutting of fingers. Dice cutting requires a little more skill as compared to the other forms. It is because the cutting of food should be regular and maintain same size. This technique involves two types: one is Macedoine and the other is Brunoise. The ingredients are first chopped into equal strips and then the strips are sliced according to the choice and type of dish.
In the Julienne style of chopping, foods are cut to the size of matchsticks. To make a coarser cut, foods are stacked to three or four slices with same width. This makes a very fine and delicate appearance of the food. Techniques of cutting food are an extremely important part in Chinese food culture. It contributes to a major factor in making Chinese foods different from other part of the world and at the same time an integral part in its food culture. The art of cutting techniques enhances the richness of Chinese food culture.
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