Also known as allumette or French cut, julienne refers to a knife skill where the resulting long and thin strip cut shape resembles matchsticks. Common julienned vegetables include carrots, celery, and potatoes. While usually referring to vegetables, meats and fish used in techniques like stir fry are also prepared this way.
The process consists of trimming the ends of a vegetable along with the edges resulting in four straight sides, which makes for an easier uniform cut. These cuts often make their way into various purees, stocks, and soups.
While the term’s origin remains unclear, its first use in print occurred in 1722 in Francois Massialot’s Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois. Of note, the julienne cut is the first step in producing brunoise, which results in finely diced vegetables.
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