Chinese Knife Skills (Tsao Dao): Cutting Techniques with the Cleaver

The Chinese kitchen runs on one knife. Where a Western kitchen has a chef’s knife, a paring knife, a slicer, a fillet knife, and a cleaver for bones, the Chinese kitchen has tsao dao (vegetable cleaver) and, optionally, a heavier bone cleaver for tough work. Almost every cut, every dice, every julienne, every paper-thin slice, every smashed garlic clove, every cracked walnut, is done with the same rectangular blade. The cleaver is not specialized. It is universal. Learning to use one well unlocks not just Chinese cooking but a more efficient approach to general prep.

The misconception in the West is that a Chinese cleaver is a meat cleaver. It is not. The standard Chinese vegetable cleaver is thin, light, and almost dainty in the hand. It looks heavy but is often lighter than a 10-inch Western chef’s knife. The weight is in the height of the blade rather than the thickness. The same shape and size also moonlights as a cutting-board scraper, a garlic smasher, a ginger crusher, a measuring tool (the blade height is roughly the same as a standard slicing thickness), and an ingredient transfer (the broad face scoops chopped vegetables off the board into the wok).

The two main types of cleaver

Chinese kitchens use two related cleavers. The first is the vegetable cleaver, called caidao in Mandarin or choi dou in Cantonese. The blade is thin (2 to 3 mm at the spine), tall (around 4 inches), and rectangular. The weight runs 200 to 300 grams. The edge is sharpened to a fine angle, typically 15 to 18 degrees per side. This is the everyday knife for vegetables, boneless protein, fish, tofu, and most prep work.

The second is the bone cleaver, called kuo dao or chopper. The blade is much thicker (5 to 8 mm at the spine), heavier (400 to 700 grams), and sharpened to a wider angle (25 to 30 degrees per side) for durability. It is used only for chopping through bones and tough joints. Trying to use a vegetable cleaver on bones will chip or crack the thin edge. Conversely, trying to use a bone cleaver for fine vegetable work is impossible (the heavy edge crushes more than it cuts).

A home cook needs only the vegetable cleaver. Bone work in home cooking is rare, and when it comes up, asking the butcher to handle it at purchase is the standard solution.

The pinch grip

Holding the cleaver correctly is the first thing to learn and the most often skipped. The grip is the pinch grip, identical in principle to the proper grip for a Western chef’s knife but applied to a different blade shape.

Pinch the blade itself between thumb and forefinger, right at the bolster where the blade meets the handle. The thumb sits on one side of the blade, the forefinger on the other. The remaining three fingers wrap the handle. This puts the hand’s mass on the blade rather than behind it, giving precise control over the cutting edge.

The wrong grip (gripping the handle alone, with all four fingers wrapped and the thumb on top) puts the cutting force off-axis from the edge, fatigues the wrist, and reduces control. Almost every novice cleaver user grips this way at first, and almost every cooking teacher fixes it within the first lesson.

The guiding hand (the non-cutting hand) curls the fingers under so the knuckles face the blade. The fingertips are tucked back. The blade rests against the flat side of the knuckles as a guide and moves backward across the food as cutting proceeds. The fingers never extend toward the blade. This is the same claw grip used with Western knives.

The basic cuts

Chinese cooking emphasizes uniform sizing within a dish for even cooking. A stir-fry with vegetables in five different sizes cooks unevenly and looks amateur. Practicing the standard cuts to uniform sizes is the foundation of Chinese prep.

Slice (pian). Thin flat pieces of meat or vegetable. For protein, slice against the grain at a slight angle to produce a longer, more tender cut. The cleaver moves in a push-pull motion rather than a rock.

Julienne (si). Thin matchsticks. Stack slices and cut them lengthwise into strips. Standard thickness is roughly 3 mm by 3 mm in cross-section, length varies by ingredient.

Dice (ding). Cubes. Take julienne and rotate, then cut crosswise to produce cubes. Standard sizes are small dice (5 mm), medium dice (1 cm), and large dice (1.5 to 2 cm).

Chop (sui). Small irregular pieces. Used for aromatics like garlic, ginger, and scallion. The cleaver rocks gently as it minces.

Roll cut (gun dao). A specialty cut for cylindrical vegetables like Chinese eggplant, daikon, or carrot. Hold the vegetable steady and roll it a quarter turn between each diagonal cut. The resulting pieces have large surface area and irregular wedge shapes that catch sauce well.

Cube (kuai). Larger chunks for braising or red-cooking. Inch-square pieces of pork belly, beef shank, or chicken thigh.

Knife angle and the push cut

The Chinese push cut is the technique most different from Western cutting. Instead of rocking the tip to the heel through the food, the blade is held flat against the board, the front edge tips upward slightly, and the blade pushes forward into the food as it descends. The motion is more like slicing than chopping.

For thin slices of protein, this push cut produces a cleaner cut than a rocking motion. The flat edge maintains a constant angle relative to the food, and there is no tip-versus-heel difference. The food is fully cut by the time the blade reaches the board, so there is no compression that would crush delicate flesh.

For vegetables, a straight downward chop is more common. The blade comes up, the food shifts under the curled knuckles of the guiding hand, the blade comes down. The motion is smooth and metronomic when practiced. Speed comes from rhythm rather than from any individual cut moving fast.

The dual purpose of the broad blade

The flat face of the cleaver is itself a tool. It smashes garlic cloves with one firm slap, crushes ginger to release juice, and transfers chopped vegetables to the wok in a single scoop. The Chinese cook treats the cleaver as both a knife and a small spatula.

The spine of the blade is also useful. Tapping the spine with the heel of the hand drives the blade through a tough cut without risking the wrist.

Sharpening the cleaver

A Chinese cleaver lives and dies by its edge. The thin geometry means the blade has very little support behind the edge, so a dull cleaver is essentially useless.

For everyday sharpening, a 1000 to 1200 grit Japanese-style waterstone is the standard. The blade is held at roughly a 15-degree angle, drawn back and forth with even pressure, alternating sides every 10 strokes. A typical sharpening session takes 10 minutes.

For finishing, a 3000 to 6000 grit stone gives a polished edge. Strop on leather or a fine ceramic rod between sessions. With consistent honing, a cleaver needs full sharpening only every few months in a home kitchen.

The grind angle of a Chinese cleaver is shallower than a Western chef’s knife. Western knives often sit at 20 degrees per side. Traditional Chinese cleavers run 15 to 18 degrees. Avoid using the cleaver on hard items like frozen food, bones, or pumpkin shells.

Choosing your first cleaver

Common starting points are stainless steel cleavers from brands like CCK, Sugimoto, or Shi Ba Zi Zuo. Carbon steel is also available with a sharper edge but more maintenance. A serviceable beginner cleaver runs $40 to $80. The CCK 1303 (small slicer) and the Sugimoto Number 6 are classic starter recommendations.

Look for a thin blade (3 mm or under at the spine), a comfortable handle, and a weight that feels balanced when you pinch the blade. Heavier is not better for a vegetable cleaver.

The first cuts feel awkward. Within a few weeks of regular use the cleaver becomes natural, and most home cooks find they reach for it more than the chef’s knife for general prep. See our methodology for our knife and cookware testing protocols.

Frequently asked questions