Lengthwise Vs Crosswise: What's The Difference Between The Cutting Methods?

Sometimes recipes dictate whether something should be cut lengthwise or crosswise. And while it's easy to dismiss the difference (it's all just getting chopped up, right?) sometimes the distinction does matter. In recipes, cutting lengthwise means cutting your item along the vertical axis, typically from root to stem. To cut crosswise is to do the opposite, along the horizontal axis.

The difference between the two is perhaps most obvious in chopping onions. A crosswise cut will produce flat discs of onion which are ideal for something like onion rings, as an example. A lengthwise cut will produce longer onion strips perfect for, among other things, caramelized onions.

Lengthwise cuts are also the recommended way to start dicing onions. The reason onions make us cry is due to their natural defense mechanisms which activate when its cell walls are breached. Cutting the onion lengthwise cuts alongside the cells' north-south orientation, rupturing fewer of them and producing fewer tear-causing fumes. 

The difference between cutting lengthwise and crosswise is an important distinction elsewhere in the kitchen, too, not just with onions. Lengthwise cuts form the heart of the batonnet cut, a basic knife technique for making vegetable sticks. Lengthwise cuts are also the typical way to slice fruits and vegetables with cores to be avoided, such as apples, bell peppers, and avocados.

Crosswise cuts also have their place in the kitchen, usually for creating wide, flat slices of even size which also have the benefit of cooking faster. Tomatoes are always sliced crosswise to retain more of the vegetable's natural spoke-like structure in each slice. Lengthwise cutting tears through these spokes, leading to limp and formless slices. 

Generally though, slicing lengthwise or crosswise depends more on the task at hand than the item being cut. For instance, orange wedges naturally peel apart in a lengthwise manner, but juicing oranges requires a crosswise cut. And although bagels are traditionally cut crosswise, a controversial lengthwise cut does increase surface area for toasting and cream cheese. It is, if nothing else, a testament to what can be discovered by switching up cutting techniques.