To cut food into pieces using a knife or cleaver with quick, decisive downward motions. Pieces are typically irregular and larger than minced or diced.
From Middle English 'choppen,' possibly from Old Norse 'kappa' meaning 'to chop or cut.' The word originally referred to any cutting action but became specifically associated with food preparation by the 16th century.
The chopping technique varies dramatically across cultures - Chinese cooks use cleavers for almost everything including delicate herbs, while French cuisine emphasizes precise knife cuts. The sound of rhythmic chopping has become so associated with cooking that it's used in movies to signal food preparation!
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