When you go to Chinatown and watch the vendors at the roast shops chop up roast

Question

When you go to Chinatown and watch the vendors at the roast shops chop up roast pig or roast duck, have you ever noticed that they use a large cleaver? This is the same for chefs who need to chop up large vegetables or blocks of meat. You would think that the heavy weight of the cleaver would make it tiring for them to use for extended periods of time, but as it turns out just the opposite is true. Why would it be easier and less tiring for them to use a heavy cleaver rather than a lighter knife for chopping tasks?

Explanation / Answer

A cleaver is good for cutting skin and bones of the meat. A lighter knife takes more time and more number of swipes to cut through the meat but the heavy cleaver can cut at one swipe and thus easier to use even if slightly heavier. It gets the job done quicker and in the end with even lesser effort.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse W
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.