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reiben

to grate; to rub

verb RYE-ben Rare
Food & Drink Cooking

Also means

to rub (general sense)

Usage Note

reiben in the kitchen means to grate food — cheese, carrots, potatoes, citrus zest — using a Reibe (grater). The result is called geriebener Käse (grated cheese) or geriebene Karotten (grated carrots). Different grater sizes produce fine shreds or coarser strands.

Examples

"Den Käse fein reiben und über das Gratin streuen."

Natural Translation

Finely grate the cheese and sprinkle over the gratin.

Literal Translation

The cheese finely grate and over the gratin sprinkle.

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