Walked into a new bistro in Portland and saw them slicing herbs with a dull knife on purpose

I was visiting Portland last month and stopped into this place called Terra, which just opened. The chef was prepping basil and I noticed the knife was way duller than it should be. He told me it was intentional, that dull blades crush herbs and release more oils for flavor. I always thought a sharp knife was the only way to go for clean cuts and presentation. But he showed me the basil after and it did smell way stronger than what I get at home. I'm torn because my training says sharp is always better, but the results were right there. Has anyone else come across this technique or am I just old school?

3 comments

3 Comments

jakeb818d ago

That's actually kind of wild, never heard that one before.

lewis.mila8d ago

Hey @jakeb81, that technique is actually a thing in some circles. It's more about bruising the herbs than cutting them clean, but it's definitely not the standard way most chefs work.

jakewhite8d ago

Ngl, I'm sitting here wondering if this is really that deep. @jakeb81 I get that you're blown away, but come on, it's basil not a precise surgery. I've used both sharp and dull knives for herbs and honestly the flavor difference is so small you'd have to be a super taster to even notice. Plus if the knife is dull you're way more likely to slip and slice your finger open over something minor. Old school is old school for a reason.