Dicing an onion, the mathematically optimal way
12 days ago
- #mathematical-optimization
- #onion-dicing
- #cooking-techniques
- Project explores the mathematically optimal way to dice an onion for uniform piece sizes.
- Common vertical cuts result in inconsistent piece sizes, especially near the bottom.
- Radial cuts aimed at ~60% of the onion's radius below the cutting surface improve consistency.
- Dr. Dylan Poulsen's 'onion constant' suggests an ideal radial depth of ~55.731% for infinitely many cuts and layers.
- Optimal technique for 10 cuts and 10 layers: radial cuts at 96% depth, yielding a 29.5% standard deviation.
- Horizontal cuts rarely improve consistency; radial cuts are generally better than vertical cuts.
- Uniformity matters more for theoretical debates than practical cooking, according to chef J. Kenji López-Alt.