How is slicing an onion into julienne strips different from dicing it?

Question

Compare slicing onions into julienne strips versus dicing them.

Answer 1

Julienne strips are long, thin matchsticks, while dicing creates small, uniform cubes. The cutting technique and final shape differ significantly.

Detailed Explanation:

Julienning an onion involves creating long, thin strips, typically about 1/8 inch thick and 1-2 inches long. Here's how to do it:

1. Cut off the top and root end of the onion.
2. Cut the onion in half from top to root.
3. Peel off the outer layer of each half.
4. Place the flat side of one half down on the cutting board.
5. Make horizontal slices, parallel to the cutting board, without cutting all the way through the root end (this helps hold the onion together). The thickness of these slices determines the thickness of your julienne.
6. Make vertical slices, again parallel to the cutting board, to create the julienne strips.

Dicing, on the other hand, results in small, uniform cubes. Here's the process:

1. Follow steps 1-4 from the julienning instructions.
2. Make horizontal slices, parallel to the cutting board, without cutting all the way through the root end.
3. Make vertical slices, parallel to the cutting board, as you did for julienning.
4. Finally, make crosswise cuts, perpendicular to the previous cuts, to create the dice. The spacing of these cuts determines the size of the dice.

The key difference is the final step. Julienning stops after creating the thin slices, while dicing adds the crosswise cuts to form cubes.

Pro Tip:

To minimize tearing up while cutting onions, chill them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before slicing. This slows down the release of the irritating compounds.