What is the French culinary knife cut called in which the food item is cut into long thin strips?

'Julienne', 'allumette', or french cut, is a culinary knife cut in which the food item is cut into long thin strips, similar to matchsticks. Common items to be julienned are carrots for 'carrots julienne', celery for 'céléris remoulade', or potatoes for 'Julienne Fries'.

Trimming the ends of the vegetable and the edges to make four straight sides makes it easier to produce a uniform cut. Trimmings can be used for stocks, soups, purees, etc. The measurement for 'julienne' is 1–2 mm × 1–2 mm × 4–5 cm (0.04–0.08 in × 0.04–0.08 in × 1.6–2 in). 'Julienne' usually applies to vegetables prepared in this way but it can also be applied to the preparation of meat or fish, especially in stir fry techniques.

The first known use of the term in print is in François Massialot's 'Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois' (1722 edition). The origin of the term is uncertain, but may derive from the proper name Jules or Julien. A 'potage julienne' is composed of carrots, beets, leeks, celery, lettuce, sorrel, and chervil cut in strips a half-'ligne' in thickness and about eight or ten 'lignes' in length. The onions are cut in half and sliced thinly to give curved sections, the lettuce and sorrel minced, in what a modern recipe would term 'en chiffonade'. The root vegetables are briefly sautéed, then all are simmered in stock and the 'julienne' is ladled out over a slice of bread.