This Heavy Sturdy Large Bamboo Butcher Block - Formaldehyde Free is designed with the epicurean kitchen in mind. 16% harder than maple, Bamboo makes a superior material for cutting boards. The Butcher Block is handcrafted using flattened strips of cured Bamboo bonded together with the highest rated, US laboratory tested and certified, formaldehyde-free adhesive specifically developed for food contact surfaces. This Butcher Block's size, 19.5 x 11.75, makes it perfect for carving a main dish or assembling kebabs for the BBQ. The Butcher Block's unique look is created using the end grain or cross-section of the bamboo pole. Small sections of the end grain are set in opposing directions creating the parquet design. No stains or paint are used to create the Butcher Block's scrumptious Honey shade. This color is created in a very specialized heating process which caramelizes the natural sugar in the wood; it is permanent and will not fade or wash out. Care: wash with warm water and mild detergent and occasionally wipe with mineral oil (Do not clean in the dishwasher). An Ecological wonder, Bamboo is a grass that grows to a harvestable height of 60 feet in 3 to 5 years. It has an extensive root system that continually develops new shoots thus not requiring replanting making it an incredible self-renewing resource and a brilliant alternative to the wide spread clear cutting of our world's hard wood forests. Do the world a favor, Do Bamboo.