---
title: "Macédoine: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates"
description: "Macédoine is a small, even dice of about 6 mm, and also a mix of fruit or vegetables cut that way and served as a salad, side dish or garnish."
url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/macedoine"
---

# Macédoine

Macédoine is a small, even dice of about 6 mm, and also a mix of fruit or vegetables cut that way and served as a salad, side dish or garnish.

Also called Macedoine, Small dice, Macedonia.

Macédoine has two meanings in recipes. As a knife cut, it is a small, even dice with cubes about 6 mm (1/4 inch) on each side. As a dish, it is a mix of several fruits or vegetables cut into that dice, served raw or cooked, warm or cold.

## How to do it

1. Peel the vegetable and square it off into a neat block so it does not roll.
2. Cut the block into planks 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick.
3. Stack the planks and cut them into sticks 6 mm wide. These are [batonnet](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/batonnet) sticks.
4. Line up the sticks and cut across them every 6 mm to make cubes.

For a mixed vegetable macédoine, cut each vegetable separately. Cook firm ones such as carrots and turnips apart from soft ones such as peas and green beans, then combine them.

## Why it works

Cubes of the same size cook in the same time and look tidy together. At 6 mm, the pieces are big enough to keep their shape and color, and small enough to eat several kinds in one spoonful.

## How to use it

* A vegetable macédoine of carrot, turnip, green beans and peas, bound with mayonnaise, is a classic cold starter. A version of it is known in many countries as Russian salad.
* A fruit macédoine of melon, apple, pear and berries is served with a little syrup or juice. In Italy and Spain a fruit salad is often called _macedonia_.
* Use it as a colorful [garnish](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/garnish) for soups and consommés.

## Common mistakes

* Cooking all the vegetables together. The peas turn to mush before the carrots are tender.
* Cutting some vegetables bigger than others, which makes the mix look messy.
* Dressing a fruit macédoine hours ahead. The fruit goes soft and watery.

## In recipes

"Cut into macédoine" or "small dice" means 6 mm cubes. A [brunoise](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/brunoise) is half that size. A medium [dice](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/dice) is about twice the size. Thin, flat squares of a similar width are a [paysanne](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/paysanne).

## Where it comes from

The name is French for "Macedonian". It is often said to refer to the mix of peoples in the region of Macedonia, but the true origin is not certain.

## Related terms

* [DiceTo dice is to cut food into small, even cubes. Large, medium and small dice have set sizes, so everything in the pan cooks at the same rate.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/dice)
* [BatonnetBatonnet is a classic knife cut that turns vegetables into even sticks about 6 mm thick, used for crudités and fries and as the first step to a small dice.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/batonnet)
* [BrunoiseBrunoise is the smallest classic dice, with cubes about 3 mm on each side, cut from a julienne and used in sauces, garnishes and fine fillings.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/brunoise)
* [PaysannePaysanne is a rustic knife cut of thin, flat pieces about 1 cm across and 3 mm thick, keeping the shape of the vegetable. It suits soups that cook fast.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/paysanne)
* [GarnishA garnish is a small edible finish added to a dish just before serving, such as herbs, citrus zest or toasted seeds, to add flavor, texture and color.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/garnish)

[More in knife skills and preparation](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/knife-skills)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)