Mural guide
One hand holds a cleaver and the other steadies a white radish as it is cut into fine shreds, the board holds rows of slices, cubes and sticks beside the fresh shreds, and a carved lotus flower sits on a plate.
Shaped by the knife
Introduction
Cutting, slicing, chopping and carving food into the right shapes.
Knife work is the craft of cutting food into the shapes it needs, including cutting, slicing, chopping and carving. Food is cut into shreds, dice, slices, chunks and strips, and a Sichuan standard divides shreds into grades such as coarse, medium, fine and needle-fine. In the Zhuangzi the cook Ding carves an ox and his blade stays as sharp as a new one. The Sui Yuan Shi Dan warns that the knife used for scallions must not be used for bamboo shoots.