Chinese Cleaver (Cai Dao)
切る、砕く、すくうをこれ一本で！重さで切る台湾の四角い万能包丁
Description
A giant, heavy rectangular knife. Looks rugged like a meat cleaver, but Taiwanese mothers do all cooking with this single knife, from smashing garlic to slicing tomatoes thin.
Classification: For Hardcore Fans,Knives/Cutting Boards,Overly Versatile Square Knife
Shops selling Chinese Cleaver (Cai Dao)
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The How to use section below is a general reference, not instructions from the listed shops.
How to use
Ingredients
- Carbon steel
- or Stainless steel
Instructions
- [Usage Secret]
- [Smashing (Pai)] Its greatest true worth. Use the wide 'belly (flat part)' of the knife to smash unpeeled garlic or ginger from above 'Bang!'. Instantly peels and explodes aroma. Smashed cucumber (Liangban Xiaohuanggua) is also cracked with this.
- [Cutting by Weight] Heavy itself, so just dropping it 'thud' without force cuts large veg like cabbage cleanly. Shows power when chopping bone-in chicken (Baizhanji).
- [Scooping] A genius design serving as a 'dustpan' to scoop massive cut scallions/ingredients onto the wide blade and move them directly to the pan.
Learn more Substitutes, pairings, tips
Key spices
None(Odorless)
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Japanese Santoku or Gyuto knives (but unsuitable for smashing tasks)
Pairing
Baizhanji (bone-in chicken cut), Smashing garlic, Veg julienne
Trivia
[Hardcore] Called 'Chinese Knife'. Exists in thin blade (slicing veg/meat), medium blade (versatile), thick blade (bone chopping); medium is common in homes. 'Kinmen Knives' made on Taiwan's outlying Kinmen Island reuse steel from artillery shells fired in past wars, boasting terrifying sharpness as a premium Taiwan souvenir.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Waiting for food at a Taiwanese Beef Noodle shop while watching the auntie use this giant knife to chop scallions 'Swish swish swish!' at high speed in mid-air!
Allergen
None