Chef shares 'correct' method for cutting an onion – but people are divided

A young chef's "mesmerising" technique for swiftly and efficiently dicing onions has left people divided with one part of her method branded "dangerous". Onions are a remarkably adaptable veg that feature in countless recipes worldwide.

They're known and loved for their potent flavour, which enhances a wide variety of dishes like soups, curries, stews and more, not to mention the nutritional benefits they offer. Onions are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and they're also a rich source of vitamin C, B vitamins and potassium.

However, they're notoriously a little tricky to chop and dice, and are known to reduce many cooks to tears due to the enzymes they release when cut.

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Everyone seems to have their own way of tackling them, but when a young chef posted a handy tutorial video on social media, it stirred up quite a reaction online.

Sophia Lampros is steadily gaining followers on Instagram as "the sibling chef you didn't know you needed". Her videos are typically presented as being sent to her "sister", with a laid-back, down-to-earth vibe.

In one particularly contentious clip - billed as "the video I sent my sister on how to cut an onion" - she's seen lopping off one end of the onion before halving it, then peeling off the skin and binning it.

She then places the onion's flat side down on the chopping board and carves a series of horizontal slices, stopping just short of slicing all the way through. The chef then fans out the onion to display the cuts to the camera before proceeding to dice it vertically.

After completing her task, she's left with tiny, uniformly chopped pieces of onion. Alongside the video, she wrote: "'Do you know how to cut an onion' - I like to think so."

In the comments, viewers weighed in with their reactions. One person noted: "And no tears. A true professional." Another shared: "Guess I'm unofficially your other sister because I needed this."

A third commented: "I am so mesmerised [right now]," while someone else shared: "Putting my request in for watermelon next!" Another revealed: "I actually saved this video for the future," while a user quipped: "Why does your onion not misbehave."

However, not everyone was convinced by her technique of making horizontal cuts. One commenter pointed out: "The onion comes with God given horizontal slices," while another questioned: "Aren't the horizontal slices pretty pointless though."

Another person recommended: "Try to cut your onion without doing [those] horizontal cuts, results will be [exactly] the same pieces. It's a cooking school myth."

Someone shared their own experience: "Been a chef for 13 years, went through culinary school, worked under many great chefs (even some names that might be recognisable), NO CHEF that I have worked for or with does horizontal cuts on an onion.

"If you make properly angled vertical cuts (follow the rainbow) then there is zero need. It wastes time and is more dangerous."

However, a different user countered: "Depends on the culinary school then I guess. All of the chefs [at] mine taught this. I ended up doing vertical then horizontal but would love to learn how to get the right angles instead!"

One person was left scratching their head at the debate unfolding in the comments: "People really in this f***ing chat arguing about onions. Our society is cooked."

Another added: "To all the people saying 'you don't need the horizontal cut' - if you don't, you'll get circular pieces which are much much longer and even in different sizes. If you want equal sizes, you'll need the horizontal ones."