Chiffonade

"Literally translated, this French phrase means 'made of rags.' Culinarily, it refers to thin strips or shreds of vegetables (classically, sorrel and lettuce), either lightly sauteed or used raw to garnish soups."

-- Excerpted from "The New Food Lover's Companion,"

by Sharon Tyler Herbst

(Barron's, 1995)

To create chiffonade, stack several leaves on top of one another, roll them tightly into a cigar shape, then use a sharp knife to thinly slice the roll. The leaves will unfurl as you slice them (pictured at right). Gradually move your fingers away from the knife as you slice farther down the roll.

Chiffonade usually refers to cutting into thin strips, whereas the term "julienne" refers to matchstick-size sticks.