How to Slice, Dice, Chop and Mince

Slicing Vegetables

Sliced vegetables are great in dishes for fajitas or salads and as snacks to use with dips.  To slice a pepper for example, first cut the top off and remove the stem and inside core with the seeds.  Next, cut the pepper in half lengthwise, then in half again.  Using a sharp knife, carefully start slicing the pepper into thin, even strips.  It's as easy as that!

What's the Difference Between a Chop, Dice, and Mince?

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Chopped vegetables, like shown below, are a rougher and larger cut of the vegetable, usually best used for roasting, grilling or adding to soups and stews.  To chop a vegetable, such as a sweet potato, first cut the ends off and peel the skin if you prefer.  Next, cut the sweet potato in half, then stand one piece up and cut down the middle, followed by the other piece, to quarter the potato.  Once quartered, cut the potato into even pieces about 2 inches thick.

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The word mince means a very small dice, usually for garlic or fresh ginger.  You can purchase pre-minced garlic and ginger, but you'll get the best flavor and fresher quality by doing it yourself.  Your best option is to buy a garlic press that will mince the garlic for you, which is much easier than trying to mince it yourself.  Or, if you want to learn how to mince garlic (and ginger) yourself, see the tutorial below.  

• Peel the garlic by placing the whole bulb on a cutting board with the root side down, then press down on top of the bulb with the heel of your hand, using your weight to separate the cloves.  Press and move the garlic in a circular motion to loosen stubborn bulbs. Use your fingers to remove the cloves from the root.
• Use a knife to cut off a small amount of the root and tip of each clove.
• Place the flat side of a chef's knife over the clove, with the blade facing away from you. Gently press lightly on the knife to crush the clove between the cutting board to release the papery skin from the garlic. Discard the skin.
• Place the peeled garlic cloves in a pile on the cutting board. Place your fingertips on top of the blade near the tips. Use an up and down motion, moving side to side to chop the garlic into smaller pieces. 
• Continue to mince the garlic until the desired size is reached. Chopped garlic is about the size of large grains of cooked rice, minced garlic is about the size of small-grained cooked couscous.
• Use the minced garlic immediately in the recipe.