dicing

Dicing is a culinary knife-cutting technique that cuts food into small, uniform cube shapes. The resulting pieces, called dice, cook evenly and present consistently in dishes such as soups, stews, salsas, sauces, and salads. Dicing is commonly applied to vegetables (onions, carrots, peppers, potatoes), fruits, and tender meats.

Sizes vary by application. Common dice sizes are small (about 1/4 inch or 6 mm), medium (1/2 inch or 12 mm), and large (3/4 inch or 19 mm). A finer variation, brunoise, produces very small cubes around 1/8 to 3 mm, typically made from a batonnet- or julienne-cut target.

Technique involves a sharp knife and a stable cutting area. Prepare the item by trimming ends and removing inedible parts as needed. For most vegetables, cut into uniform slabs (planks), then into uniform sticks, and finally crosswise to form cubes. For onions, halve and trim, make parallel vertical cuts without cutting through the root, then cut across to form dice. For firmer vegetables like carrots or potatoes, you may peel first, then proceed with the plank–stick–dice sequence. For delicate fruits or tomatoes, minimize handling to preserve shape and avoid crushing.

Safety and efficiency: keep fingers tucked in a claw grip and maintain a stable board. Dicing speeds prep in professional kitchens and can be aided by a mandoline or a specialized dice blade for large batches, though knife skill remains essential.