Julienne

Julienne is a knife cut that turns vegetables, fruit, or meat into long, thin, uniform strips resembling matchsticks, typically about an eighth of an inch thick and one to two inches long. You make it by squaring off the food, slicing it into thin planks, stacking those planks, and cutting them lengthwise into even sticks. The goal is consistency so the pieces look tidy and cook at the same rate.

Cooks use the julienne cut for quick-cooking dishes and attractive presentation. Julienned carrots, peppers, and snow peas are ideal for stir-fries because their slim shape cooks in moments and mixes evenly. The cut also dresses up salads, slaws, and garnishes with a neat, professional look. If you further crosscut julienne strips into tiny cubes, you get a fine dice called brunoise, so mastering julienne unlocks other cuts too.