Cai Dao (Chinese Cleaver)

A broad, rectangular-bladed cleaver used as the single all-purpose knife in most Chinese kitchens, capable of fine slicing, mincing, and heavier chopping depending on which part of the blade and how much force is applied.

Material & Construction

A wide, thin rectangular steel blade, generally lighter than a Western butcher's cleaver despite the similar shape, paired with a simple wood or composite handle.

Traditional Uses

Slicing vegetables and meat thinly, mincing garlic and ginger with the flat of the blade, and chopping through smaller bones, functioning as a single tool for nearly all cutting tasks.

Modern Availability / Equivalents

A Western chef's knife covers the slicing and mincing role, though it can't replicate the cleaver's flat-blade crushing and bone-chopping capability in one tool.

Care & Maintenance

Hand-wash and dry promptly to prevent rust on carbon-steel versions; sharpen regularly given the wide range of tasks the single blade handles.