Glossary
Chiffonade
A knife technique for cutting herb leaves into long, thin ribbons by stacking, rolling, and slicing perpendicular to the roll.
The technique works on broad, flat herb leaves — basil, mint, sage, sorrel — and the larger leafy vegetables (Swiss chard, spinach). Five or six leaves stacked, rolled tight along their long axis like a cigar, then sliced into thin ribbons with a sharp knife: result is a fine julienne of pure leaf.
Chiffonade is finishing. Used to dust ribbons of basil over caprese salad, mint over peas, sage over pasta. Cut at the last moment — the cut edges oxidize within minutes, and the ribbons darken if held for long.