Food Dictionary: Chop, Mince, Dice, Grate

To chop or not to chop, that is the question. Whether 'tis mincing or dicing in the mind to chiffonade the basil to outrageous perfection. To grate, perchance to shred - aye, there's the rub. Oh fair Henckel's -- Knife on my block. Be all my ingredients remembered.

Epicurious and Hamlet, bring us this latest batch of food words .... words .... words .... words that tell us how we are cutting our ingredients. Do we chop, grate, mince, dice, or shred?

Chop: cutting food into small, bite-sized pieces

Mince: to cut food into very small pieces. Note: minced food is smaller than chopped food

Dice: to cut food into tiny cubes

Grate: To reduce a large piece of food to small particles or thin shreds by rubbing it against a coarse, serrated surface,

Shred: to cut food into narrow strips by hand or by grater or food processer.

Interesting. So you can grate with a grater and you can also shred with a grater.