Chinese Cleaver (Cai Dao) Knife Skills

Pan-Chinese — the cai dao is the defining tool of Chinese cuisine, unchanged in form for over 1,000 years

The Chinese cleaver (cai dao) is the universal kitchen knife of Chinese cooking — used for slicing, julienning, mincing, smashing, scooping, and tenderising. Unlike Western cleavers (thick and heavy for bones), the cai dao is thin-bladed and versatile. Chinese knife cuts include: slices (pian), julienne (si), dice (ding), mince (mo), and decorative cuts (carved shapes for banquet presentation).

• Japanese gyuto and santoku (precision multi-purpose knives)
• French chef's knife technique
• Spanish jamón carving (precision thin-slicing)

Knife technique is preparation — the cut determines how ingredients cook and absorb flavour