Keep the root intact

• Leave the root on the onion; cutting it off makes the onion bleed and makes you cry.

Slice towards the root

• Slice rapidly going forward, letting the weight of the knife do the work.
• Guide the knife with the knuckle: three fingers, one in front and two behind.
• Keep your fingers on top of the onion and point the knife towards the root, getting as close to it as possible with a nice long stroke.

Horizontal cuts

• Push the onion back together.
• Push the knife halfway into the onion, tilt the knife down and make one cut at the top.
• Grip the onion like a tennis ball to hold it together in place.

Chop through the onion

• Use the weight of the blade to cut through the onion down to the base of the root.
• Turn it round and continue with an up and down motion.

Finely chopped onion

• Only the root is left, no waste.
• You end up with a really nice, finely chopped onion.