Mince, Dice, Chop, Slice

What is the difference between a mince, a dice and a chop?  The size of the pieces.  The size of the pieces going into a recipe can affect both the texture, flavor, density, and the cooking time for a recipe.  You don’t have to be precise, but the recipe could turn out much differently if it asks for chopped pieces of celery and you mince them.  

From left to right, we have a mince, dice, chop, and a slice. 

The way you cut the different ingredients can also change how they measure if you are measuring by volume – measuring cup, vs by weight – a scale. The smaller the pieces the more closely they fit together and the more by weight of something you can fit into the same space.