Chinese Cleaver vs Meat Cleaver: Very Different Knives!
Time to read 5 min
The Chinese Cleaver, also known as a Chinese Chef’s Knife, vegetable cleaver, or Chuka Bocho, is a versatile knife used in kitchens worldwide. However, it’s not to be confused with its thicker, duller cousin, the meat cleaver. Although these two large and boxy blades may look similar, they are used for entirely different things. One is for everyday prep, while the other is for hacking away at bones and tough vegetables!
In this comprehensive guide, we'll explain the traditional characteristics of a Chinese cleaver and how it differs from a meat cleaver. We’ll also dive into the uses of the two types of cleavers and provide some tips on cutting techniques.
Want to watch instead of read? Check out our video on Chinese Cleavers vs Meat Cleavers
Table of Contents
The Chinese Cleaver: A Chef's Knife
A traditional Chinese Cleaver is easily recognized by its tall rectangular blade, which ranges from 6 to 10 inches long. The edge can either be very straight, mostly straight with a slight curve at the tip, or with a belly-like edge with curves at the heel and the tip. Chinese cleavers with a straighter edge are ideal for tap and push chopping and slicing, while a curved blade will also excel at rock chopping and mincing. It’s designed to prepare various ingredients, including meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, dough, and more. Think of a Chinese cleaver as a gyuto or Western-style chef’s knife - an all-purpose workhorse!
Like other chef’s knives, Chinese cleavers are made with various types of steel and have a wide range of Rockwell hardnesses. Today, many Chinese cleavers are still traditionally hand-forged, but some are pressed from steel sheets and hand-finished. Unlike the blade finishing options of the Japanese gyuto, the finishes of a Chinese cleaver are simple, more like Western-style knives with either a polished blade or a kurouchi finish.
The barrel-shaped handle of a Chinese cleaver is almost as iconic as the blade itself and is unique compared to all other styles of knives. The handle is often accompanied by a metal ferrule or bolster and sometimes has an exposed bent tang at the butt.
The Chūka Bōchō | Chinese Kitchen Knife
The Japanese created their own style of Chinese Cleaver, the Chuka Bocho, which translates to “Chinese Kitchen Knife.” Similar in appearance to the Chinese version, the Chuka Bocho is also used extensively for its versatility and efficiency in most Japanese kitchens.
The blade finish is the biggest difference between traditional Chinses cleavers and Chuka Bochos. Like a Chinese Cleaver, a Chuka Bocho can be polished or have a kurouchi finish, but you’ll also commonly find them with wavy layers of Damascus steel, a hammered tsuchime or nashiji finish, or a combination of various techniques. This is not to say there aren’t Chinese cleaver knife makers that do more than polish or kurouchi, but you’ll find a wider variety of aesthetics when it comes to the Chuka Bocho.
The handle of a Chuka Bocho will generally vary more than that of a Chinese cleaver. The octagonal handle and barrel-like shape are the most traditional, but you’ll also find Western-style handles and hybrids made of micarta or pakkawood.
When it comes to functionality, the chuka bocho is designed to perform exactly like a Chinese cleaver but will also vary in ideal cutting technique depending on the shape of the edge.
It’s important to understand that most chuka bochos are simply called Chinese cleaver since that’s what the name translates to.
Chinese Cleaver Uses
Chinese Cleaver Uses:
Fruit and Vegetables: tap, push, and rock chopping, slicing, and mincing
Fresh Herbs: mincing, chiffonade, bruising (with the side of the blade)
Proteins: trimming, slicing, and mincing
Dough: portioning and noodle cutting
Specialty Uses:
Crushing: the large, flat side of a Chinese cleaver makes it excellent for crushing garlic cloves, ginger, turmeric, and other vegetables
Scooping: the blade doubles as an extra large bench scraper for scooping ingredients off your cutting board and transferring them to a bowl or pan for cooking
Breaking: depending on the thickness of the spine, it can be used for breaking crab legs and small shells
The Meat Cleaver
While the Chinese Cleaver is versatile, like an everyday chef’s knife, the Meat Cleaver is more robust and specialized. These knives look nearly identical from the side, but once you turn a meat cleaver, you’ll see that the spine is twice as thick, the edge is intentionally broad and dull, and the weight is nearly double.
It’s hard to say whether the East or West created the meat cleaver or if it was initially created for the kitchen or the battlefield; nonetheless, think of a meat cleaver as a kitchen axe; its intended use is blunt force on hard objects!
Meat cleavers can vary in size, shape, steel, and handle design but are generally made with softer steel and have a polished blade. The soft steel allows them to withstand abuse and sharpen easily, and the polished blade is easy to clean. One of the iconic tell-tale signs of a meat cleaver is the hole in the blade.
Meat Cleaver Uses
Uses:
Butchering : Ideal for butchering or portioning large cuts of meat and breaking down poultry.
Cutting bones: The thick blade can handle cutting through small to medium-sized bones, like chicken bones, which would damage a Chinese Cleaver. The thick spine can handle being beaten on with a rubber or wooden mallet to aid in pushing through thicker bones, like pork ribs.
Frozen foods: Suitable for cutting through frozen fruits and vegetables.
Tough vegetables: Perfect for preparing hard vegetables like squash and pumpkins.
Seafood : A Meat Cleaver is excellent for cutting through the tough outer shells of some seafood, such as lobsters, crabs, and other crustaceans.
To further complicate these very different kitchen twins, many Chinese cleavers are also built like meat cleavers with thick, blunt blades. However, in Eastern cultures, they are still simply called Chinese cleavers or Chuka bochos. It’s like saying “pickup truck. “They come in many shapes and sizes, but whether it has a king cab with 22” rims or is an 89’ Ford Ranger with 40” tires, it’s still a pickup truck!
Cutting board consideration: When used with a lot of force, a Meat Cleaver's heavier blade can significantly damage a cutting board. To avoid creating divots that could damage a regular knife, use a separate hardwood cutting board or the reverse side of your regular cutting board when using a Meat Cleaver.
The first photo below (left) shows a meat cleaver coil, and the second is a Chinese cleaver coil. The blade's thickness and the edge's width are significantly different.
Do you need a Chinese Cleaver, Meat Cleaver, or Both?
The Chinese Cleaver is an essential tool in any kitchen and embodies versatility. Whether slicing meat, chopping cabbage, or crushing garlic, these knives can effortlessly handle a wide range of tasks. The Japanese adaptation, the Chuka Bocho, further exemplifies the global appreciation and utility of the Chinese Cleaver. Meanwhile, the Meat Cleaver is an absolute workhorse intended for chopping away at big cuts of meat, firm fruits and vegetables, frozen foods, shellfish, and bones. Understanding the differences between these knives will help you choose the right knife to add to your collection and may ignite an interest in exploring Chinese and Japanese cuisine in your kitchen at home!