The Curvature of Mincing

[Using a Knife - IV]

When mincing herbs, use the natural curvature of the knife to your advantage. The tip should never leave the cutting board. Rather, each time you lift the handle, slightly adjust your down stroke, but keep the front of the blade in contact with the board. It will serve as a type of axis while the handle will move in a semi-circle across the cutting board. If done properly, the blade will feel like it’s rocking front to back, front to back.

At first this technique feels unnatural. We have a tendency to want to lift the whole blade off the cutting board each time, bringing it back down with increased force. The problem with this way of mincing herbs is there are too many moving variables to accurately minimize the size of each cut. By leaving the front of the blade down, you’ve effectively controlled a major variable and better utilized the curvature of the blade.

Eventually, this technique will feel normal, and your accuracy and speed will both increase beyond what’s possible by picking up the knife every time.

Your experience, education, and interests all form a natural curvature to your life. Working with the curvature is a better use of your time, eliminates some of the unpredictable variables, and will always produce better results.