Kitchen tools

Chopping Board

A flat board for cutting food; use separate equipment for raw and cooked or ready-to-eat food.

3 identity clues

Flat cutting surface
May have a handle hole or non-slip edge
Raw or cooked-food assignment needs a label or household rule

Reading language:

Names in other languages

繁體中文: 砧板
English: Chopping Board
Bahasa Indonesia: Talenan (砧板)
Tagalog: Sangkalan / Chopping Board (砧板)

Name in Cantonese (Jyutping): zam1 baan2

What is it?

A chopping board provides a stable cutting surface and may be wood, bamboo, plastic or another food-contact material. Household colour rules vary.

How to identify it

Look for a flat board designed for cutting, sometimes with a handle hole or non-slip edge. Confirm its material and assigned use from household labels or instructions.

Common Hong Kong household uses

Cutting vegetables, meat and other ingredients on separately assigned boards.

Use & cleaning

Place it securely and confirm whether it is assigned to raw food or cooked and ready-to-eat food.

Storage & care

Clean after every use and dry fully. Replace a deeply cracked, badly warped or uncleanable board.

Helper tip

Do not guess the assignment from colour alone. Hong Kong official guidance recommends separate boards and utensils for raw and cooked food.

What Ma’am or Sir may say

生熟食砧板要分開。

The employer wants raw-food equipment kept separate from cooked or ready-to-eat food equipment.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-22

Sources (5)