Chopping an Onion

Onions have been cultivated for over 5000 years. They grow wild in various regions of the world. From China to Egypt via Rome and Plymouth Rock, onions have been consumed by the world's population in different places, times, and ways.

Chopping an onion is one of the most basic kitchen skills you could have. Once you get the basics down, you can get better and better, applying a similar chopping technique to other vegetables you prepare. The following steps are simple, repeatable, and time savers:

1. Make sure you have a cutting board and a sharp knife.

2. Secure the onion, keep your fingers in, and guide the blade of the knife with your knuckles while chopping of the stem end of the onion.

3. Place the onion cut side down, it should lie flat with the root end up.

4. Secure the onion and cut through the hard root top, splitting the onion in two.

5. Peel each half of the onion.

6. Chop one half at a time.

(If you are slicing the onion into thin strip, just finely slice from the cut end to the root end at this point.)
 
7. Secure the onion and slice 3/4 of the way from the cut end to the root end, as seen below. 

8. Once you've made your vertical cuts, firmly press on the onion and make one or two horizontal slices depending on how rough your onion needs to be, as seen below. 

9. Chop the onion from the cut end to the root end, as seen below.  Because of your cuts in step 7, the onion will come off easily in pieces. 

10. Repeat for the other half.

Onions are an important ingredient in any kitchen across the globe.  Finding a way to chop, dice, and slice them in a comfortable way and improving that skill is an easy way to become a more efficient cook.