If you’ve ever feasted on a savory meal topped with elegant ribbons of basil, chances are, the cook employed the chiffonade cut. This knife technique is used to cut aromatic herbs and certain types of leafy greens into dainty little ribbons—although the textbook definition of “chiffonade” translates to rags. In the culinary world, ribbons sound a bit more appealing.

The most effective way to try the chiffonade cut is by tightly rolling up your desired herbs or greens into a bundle and softly slicing them into thin strips.