Chop
Chopping is cutting food into small, roughly bite-sized pieces with a knife. The pieces do not need to be perfectly uniform or precisely measured, which is what separates chopping from more exacting cuts like dicing or mincing. It is one of the most common knife tasks in the kitchen, used for everything from vegetables and herbs to nuts and chocolate.
Recipes call for chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, or chopped parsley when the exact shape does not matter as much as reducing the food to manageable, evenly cookable bits. To chop safely and quickly, curl the fingertips of your guiding hand under into a claw shape to protect them, and keep the knife tip on the board while rocking the blade through the food. A sharp knife makes chopping faster and safer than a dull one, because it bites cleanly instead of slipping across the surface.
Recipes call for chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, or chopped parsley when the exact shape does not matter as much as reducing the food to manageable, evenly cookable bits. To chop safely and quickly, curl the fingertips of your guiding hand under into a claw shape to protect them, and keep the knife tip on the board while rocking the blade through the food. A sharp knife makes chopping faster and safer than a dull one, because it bites cleanly instead of slipping across the surface.