Techniques

Ichōkiri いっちょう切り
Slicing root vegetables such as daikon and carrots into quarter pieces

Itazuri 板ずり
This technique is used in the preparation of pickling vegetables before slicing them: sprinkle the cutting board, the vegetable and your hands with salt and roll the vegetable back and forth, pressing slightly.

Katsuramuki 桂剥き
This is a technique used particularly for finely slicing daikon that requires great knifing skills.

Kinpira 金平
Kinpira is a common method of preparing root vegetables such a gobo (burdock root), carrots and lotus roots, but is also used quite often in preparing various seaweed dishes like hijiki or even momen tofu is delicious prepared this way. It involves sautéing and then gently boiling the vegetables in a stock of soy sauce and mirin, in a ratio of 1:1.

Kinpira carrots

Kombu-jime 昆布〆
This technique is used for making a quick pickle from root vegetables. It involves sandwiching the vegetables between two slices of kombu and refrigerating.

Rangiri　乱切り
This method of cutting helps the vegetable to get evenly cooked, even though it seems to result in quite a random shape. It is used often in stewing and boiling.

Shiomomi 塩もみ
This is the technique used to soften vegetables for pickling. Sprinkle salt over the vegetable and knead and massage the vegetable until it is soft and pliant.