How to Cut Vegetables for Japanese Cooking

You might think there are only a couple of ways to cut vegetables - sliced, chopped or diced, right? Wrong! There are so many different cutting techniques, especially when it comes to Japanese cooking. Japanese cuisine is famous for using fresh, often raw vegetables in a range of dishes, which can be cut using a wide variety of methods. Japanese dishes are also known for being aesthetically pleasing, with ingredients cut into intricate patterns or arranged into harmonious designs. If you want to take your homemade Japanese dishes to the next level, give some of these techniques a go and start cutting your veggies with precision! To put these cutting methods to the test, you can find fresh Asian vegetables and countless other oriental products from our online Japanese grocery store .

What are Japanese Cutting Techniques?

But what exactly is so unique about Japanese cutting methods?While Japanese cooks will still chop and slice their vegetables, some techniques are specific to Japanese cooking. Each of these methods has a particular name that describes the cutting style exactly rather than leaving it up to general descriptive terms like ‘slice into strips’ that we often see in English language recipes. As each technique denotes a precise method for cutting food, it is often easier to distinguish between the different styles, as opposed to more vague terms like chop and dice.

How Do You Use Different Japanese Cutting Techniques?

To save this from becoming an endless list of techniques, we’ll stick to the basics!

Wa-giri (Round Slices)

Perhaps the most basic method, this refers to cutting cylindrical vegetables and other foods into uniform round slices. Used for:

• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Tomatoes

Hangetsu-giri (Half-moons)

Another very common technique - to achieve the shape, cut your vegetables in half lengthways. Then, put the flat side on the surface and cut slices along the length.Used for:

• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Daikon
• Lotus root

Ichogiri (Gingko Leaf Cut)

This is essentially a half-moon cut, with each slice cut in half again. The easiest way to do this is by cutting the vegetables in half lengthways, then cutting the two halves in half again until you have four long pieces. Hold two quarters together as you make slices along the length. Use for:

• Carrots
• Daikon

Nanamegiri (Diagonal Cut)

Make your cut at an angle, slicing diagonally to produce longer oval shapes. This is a good method for salad vegetables.Use for:

• Spring onions
• Celery

Ran-giri (Random Shape Cuts)

Cut your vegetable into irregular shapes of the same size. Do this by cutting a slice at a 70° angle, then roll the vegetable towards you and make another 70° cut. Continue this process until your entire vegetable has been cut into wedge-like slices. This method is often good for veggies in soups, stew and curries.Use for:

• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Aubergine

Kushigatagiri (Comb Shaped Cuts)

This is commonly used with spherical vegetables - cut the vegetable in half and then slice it into sixths or eights. Do this by angling each slice into the centre slightly, so you end up with even wedges.Use for:

• Onion
• Tomato
• Cabbage

Kakugiri (Cube Cuts)

This is when you cut veggies into even cube shapes - you might need this shape for a range of dishes, especially soups and stews.Start by cutting your ingredient into round slices (wa-giri), then cut it into strips - cut these strips into uniform cubes. Use for:

• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Daikon

Hosogiri (Matchstick Slices)

This is when ingredients are cut into long, thin matchstick strips. Start by cutting your vegetable into a thick rectangular shape, then cut lengthways into thin slices, stack these rectangle slices and cut into uniform sticks.This is a great method for stir-fry veggies. Use for:

• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Peppers
• Daikon
• Burdock root
• Onion

Kazarikiri (Decorative Cut)

This general term refers to any kind of decorative cut. Decorative shapes can be achieved by cutting with a knife or using small cutters to stamp out effortless designs - particularly popular shapes include flowers.Use for:

• Carrots
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Lotus root
• Any other vegetables you want to use for decoration!

We have only really scratched the surface of all the ways you can cut vegetables in Japanese cooking! If you’re new to the terms and techniques we’ve explored here, why not give them a try with one of our tasty recipes ?