When food is sliced into even, thin strips, it is called a julienne cut. The julienne cut is actually rather easy to accomplish, especially with the assistance of a mandoline. It can be used to make foods look stylish on the plate, and to ensure that foods will be cooked evenly and thoroughly. Learning how to julienne cut properly is important, and it will elevate your cooking skills.

A julienne cut may be of varying thicknesses, but it is usually square. Sometimes, vegetables are cut into very fine slivers, while in other cases the cut may be more thick. Julienne cut vegetables are sometimes said to be “frenched,” and the cut is also known as a matchstick cut. Matchstick cut vegetables may also be cut short, so that they more strongly resemble matchsticks. In general, the cut is reserved for vegetables, although some meats by julienne cut for specialty dishes.

For food presentation, learning a julienne cut is essential. When performed well, it creates an even, attractive look for spreads of vegetables such as those on a buffet line. It also ensures that foods look even, whether they are rolled up into sushi or cooked down into borscht. Since many diners prefer a simple and symmetrical look to their food, the julienne cut is eye pleasing. The cut can also be used to contrast larger chunks of food, which will stand out against their uniform background.

Using a julienne cut in food preparation also ensures that food cooks evenly, and all the way through. When all of the foods in a dish are the same size, they will tend to cook more uniformly, and you will not end up with areas of greater and lesser doneness. In addition, a mixture of julienne cut vegetables cooked together will all cook all the way through, since the even size is easy to heat.

When performing a julienne cut by hand, select a very sharp knife. Start by totally trimming and peeling the food which needs to be cut. If it is round, like an onion, cut it in half so that it will lie flat on a cutting board. Start by making a series of parallel cuts which are equidistant from each other, and then flip the food on its side and repeat the process. When you are done, you will have a small pile of even strips. If you are using a mandoline, select the appropriate blade and then push the trimmed and peeled food through.