Chinese Knives

Chinese Knives

A Chinese cleaver can seem like a frighteningly large and treacherous knife. But with practice and proper technique, it’s as safe as and even more versatile than the chef’s knife. A cleaver chops, slices, and minces. It also smashes, mashes, scrapes, and scoops and is the most important tool in a Chinese kitchen.

There are two basic Chinese cleavers: the heavyweight meat cleaver and the delicate vegetable cleaver (also known as a Chinese chef’s knife). The meat cleaver is a rugged, blunt knife meant solely for hacking through bones — primarily chicken and fish.

Unlike the meat cleaver, the vegetable cleaver has a delicate, sharp edge, like a chef’s knife. It is used to cut or julienne vegetables and boneless meats. In addition to making food prettier, traditional Chinese cutting techniques expose extra surface area, resulting in more flavor and texture and more even cooking.