Macedoine

Macédoine is a French culinary term for a mixture of ingredients—most commonly vegetables or fruit—cut into small, even dice. In classical cuisine, a vegetable macédoine often uses a dice of about 5 mm and may be served hot or cold, sometimes bound with a sauce. The term can also refer to a mixed fruit preparation or fruit salad.

How to prepare a vegetable macédoine

Choose vegetables with compatible cooking times and colours, such as carrot, turnip, green beans and peas. Cut firm vegetables into uniform small dice, cook each ingredient as required, cool or hold safely, then combine and season. Some classic preparations are bound with mayonnaise or another suitable sauce; use a product appropriate to the operation’s food-safety and allergen requirements.

Common uses

• Vegetable garnish: serve a cooked macédoine as an accompaniment to meat, poultry or fish.
• Cold salads: combine diced vegetables with a suitable dressing or commercial mayonnaise.
• Fruit macédoine: mix small, evenly cut pieces of seasonal fruit for a dessert or garnish.
• Stuffings and fillings: use a finely diced mixture to add colour and texture to selected preparations.

Macédoine versus brunoise

Macédoine is a small dice, commonly around 5 mm. Brunoise is a finer dice, traditionally around 2 mm. The exact dimensions may vary by kitchen standard, but uniformity is essential for even cooking and presentation.

How to achieve a consistent cut

Square the ingredient into manageable blocks, cut even slices, stack or align them, then cut into strips and dice. Use a sharp knife and keep the size consistent across the batch.

Chef’s tip: cook each vegetable according to its density rather than boiling the entire mixture together. This helps preserve colour, texture and an even final dice.

Watch the macédoine cutting demonstration