Lime juice is an indispensable ingredient in many Vietnamese dishes, from noodle soups such as bún and phở to mixed salads and gỏi.

Limes are also an essential element in Mexican cuisine, making them perfect for squeezing over tacos — one of the country’s traditional foods.

But did you know that the way you cut a lime can significantly affect how much juice you get? A Mexican restaurant called Taquiza in South London (UK) recently shared a video on TikTok introducing the optimal way to cut this versatile fruit.

The video caption reads: “Bet you didn’t know there’s a right way to cut a lime?! In today’s lesson from Chef Sam: one horizontal cut across the lime keeps the white pith out of the way so the juice flows smoothly and straight onto your taco — or whatever else needs a citrus kick at Taquiza.”

At the start of the demonstration, head chef Sam Tarneberg explains: “This is how we cut limes at Taquiza. It might sound a little strange, but there really is a specific way to cut them.”

“Yes, most people start like this,” he adds, placing the knife lengthwise along the lime. “We don’t do that,” he continues, turning the lime sideways and cutting it in half across the middle, then slicing it into smaller wedges.

Chef Sam Tarneberg advises cutting limes horizontally. (Photo: Taquiza)

“We cut it this way, and then slice it into wedges like this,” he says while demonstrating. “The main reason is so you don’t run into the white pith here,” he explains, pointing to the thin edge of the lime wedge. “And when you squeeze it, the juice won’t spray everywhere — it will flow exactly where you want it,” he concludes.

A halved lime cut into smaller wedges. (Photo: Taquiza)

Limes cut using this method produce a lot of juice, and importantly, the juice doesn’t splash everywhere. (Photo: Taquiza)

Surprised reactions from social media users

This tip left many viewers astonished. One person admitted: “Raise your hand if you’ve been cutting limes the wrong way your whole life,” along with a raised-hand emoji.

In response, another TikTok user confessed: “I always cut them the wrong way and then poke them repeatedly to get more juice out. But somehow there’s always a drop that flies straight into my eye.”

Another viewer shared their own experience: “This is how I used to cut limes at the taco shop where I worked, and I got told off for not doing it the way they trained us. I kept doing it anyway because the limes produced more juice, more wedges, and customers stopped complaining about our ‘dry’ limes — they weren’t dry, they were just cut the wrong way.”

Someone else agreed with the method, saying: “Cutting them your way means slicing through all the membranes of the lime segments, so you get more juice when you squeeze.”

Another commenter wrote: “I wish this video had shown up 30 minutes ago, when I’d just finished prepping six limes for a party.”

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