Chiffonade is a knife technique for cutting leafy herbs and greens into thin, ribbon-like strips: the leaves are stacked, rolled tightly into a cylinder, and sliced crosswise. The name comes from the French chiffon, meaning a scrap of cloth, describing the resulting ribbons. It's commonly used on basil, mint, and other tender herbs as well as larger leaves like spinach, kale, and cabbage, both as a garnish and as a way to distribute flavor evenly through a dish.