A mezzaluna is a knife comprising of at least one curved blades with a handle on each end, which is rocked back and forth chopping the ingredients beneath with each movement. They most usually have a single edge, yet are sometimes seen with two or three blades.
It is typically utilized for mincing herbs or garlic. However, it can be used for slashing different things, for example, cheese or meat. Enormous single blade versions are sometimes used for pizza. Regular uses in Italy include preparation of a Soffritto or a pesto, etc.
Silvio Pacitti. The first early pizza cutter was not generally imagined to cut the pizza into slices, but it did evolve into that role. Silvio Pacitti invented the MezzaLuna or half-moon knife in 1708 as a means to cut herbs.
Table of Contents
1. Why You Need a Mezzaluna in the Kitchen
Need to mince a significant pile of herbs? This curvy apparatus will take care of it in seconds. How about decrease a mound of walnuts and a block of chocolate for a batch of brownies? Same thing.
Don’t have the time to shred lettuce for a plate of mixed greens deliberately? The mezzaluna will boogie between all of the elements so you can assemble a fresh chopped salad in minutes.
And it will do every of this without having to drag out the food processor, then wash out a canister, chute, lid, and an assortment of sharp edges. It’s easy to achieve various textures various chopping herbs, veggies, or nuts with this curved mincing knife – you repeat the activity, rocking back and forth until you get the desired texture.
Source: Wikipedia
The Arched Cutting Edge
The arched cutting edge and dual handles make a seesaw motion, and momentum keeps it going with minimal effort from the user. And naturally, the bigger the blade, the greater the number of ingredients it can handle.
In differentiation, a chef’s knife, which does not have a comparative big belly, does not rock as quickly and tends to nudge ingredients out of reach as they’re chopped gently. The large cutting surface gets all of the ingredients on your slicing board, ensuring all pieces are equally cut.
Italian for half-moon, the mezzaluna has been within utilizing since the mid-eighteenth century, both for mincing and chopping tasks and as a pizza cutter too. Originally designed to handle the job of mincing herbs, garlic, nuts, and supplementary ingredients for innumerable delicious sauces, similar to pesto and salsa verde, the mezzaluna has enjoyed a bit of a revival recently thanks to the chopped salad trend.
2. How to Use a Mezzaluna
- To utilize this apparatus, firmly hold both handles, and with a rolling motion, seesaw the blades over the food.
- The key to its adequacy is that you don’t lift it from the cutting surface – except if you require to scoop ingredients back into the slicing zone.
- Initially, you may want to uplift the blade for a couple of starter cuts to reduce the height of a pile.
- Once the pile of food is a sensible height, direct the blade to cut vertically, horizontally, and diagonally until everything is chopped similarly, either minced finely or roughly cut as you want.
- For single-handed versions, the equivalent rocking motion is employed, however with a shorter blade.
- Grasp the handle firmly but quickly, then chop down a couple of times to reduce the pile.
- Tip forward and back, keeping contact with the cutting board as you direct its angle of movement until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Types of Mezzaluna Knives to Help Prepare Quality Salads
a. Checkered Chef Mezzaluna Knife
This 6-inch mezzaluna knife from Checkered Chef is a top-selling mincing knife on Amazon because of its simple ergonomic design and overly sharp stainless steel blades. Reviewers love using this knife for chopping up kale and romaine lettuce for fresh salads and sides.
b. Internet’s Best Stainless Steel Mezzaluna Knife
Another top-rated mincing knife, this mezzaluna knife is crafted from one continuous piece of hardcore stainless steel with a sharp 5-inch blade for quick and easy chopping of fresh herbs, salad greens, and much more. Reviewers love that this knife is lightweight, comfortable to grip, and dishwasher-safe.
c. Fante’s Double Mezzaluna Knife
This stainless steel rocking knife features a bunch of two sharp crescent-shaped 5.5-inch blades, simple to-grip wood handles, and marginally more compact size, making it a perfect tool for chopping garlic, shallots, and herbs. Reviewers love the more modest size of the blades, especially for chopping salads at home.
Source: Wikipedia
d. Joseph Joseph Mezzaluna Folding Stainless Steel Herb Chopper
If you’re restricted on storage space or worried about little hands accidentally getting in the way, this folding herb chopper from Joseph Joseph was designed with you in mind. The retractable handles overlay over the blade for secure and compact storage so that you can stress less.
e. Westmark Stainless Steel Double Blade Mezzaluna Knife
This sleek design highlights two sturdy stainless steel blades to thoroughly cut through fresh herbs, onions, or any other ingredients on the chopping block. Reviewers rave about the super-sharp blades and comfortable handles on this model.
4. Advantages of Mezzaluna Knives
- No hand require to hold the food, therefore more secure for kids or those lacking knife skills.
- Faster for those insufficient knife skills.
- No requirement for gloves when cutting foods that can irritate the skin, like chillies.
Disadvantages
- Awkward and dangerous to wash in the middle of the blades for the double-blade version.
- Difficult to store securely.
- A unitasker truly only suited for chopping herbs and spices.
- The most common items chopped in many cuisines, onion and garlic, would require rough chopping first with a traditional knife, making it scarcely worth it.
- Inhibits the improvement of essential knife skills.
