Mezzaluna

A kitchen utensil that can be used to mince or cut foods into smaller bits for seasoning sauces, soups, salads, and other dishes. Mezzalunas (an Italian word meaning half moon) are made with either single or double bladed knives that are crescent-shaped so they can be rocked back and forth over a food being parepared on a cutting board. They work well to cut herbs, garlic, onions, ginger, peppers, olives, nuts, chocolates, and similar foods into very small pieces. By first using a chopping motion to reduce the food to bits and then using a rocking motion to produce a finer chop, foods can be cut into sizes that best suit the foods being prepared. This tool is also referred to as a Mincing Knife.