Lime juice is an essential ingredient in many cuisines around the world. In Vietnamese cooking, it plays a vital role in countless dishes, from bowls of bún and phở to fresh salads and mixed noodle dishes. In Mexican cuisine, lime is just as indispensable, most famously squeezed over tacos to add brightness, acidity, and balance to rich flavors.

But did you know that the way you cut a lime can have a significant impact on how much juice you actually get from it?

A Mexican restaurant called Taquiza, based in South London in the UK, recently shared a viral TikTok video revealing what they claim is the most effective way to cut a lime. The video quickly caught attention online, surprising many viewers who realized they may have been cutting limes incorrectly for years.

The caption of the video reads: “Bet you didn’t know there was a right way to cut a lime?! In today’s lesson from Chef Sam: a horizontal cut keeps the white pith out of the way, allowing the juice to flow smoothly and directly onto your taco — or whatever dish at Taquiza needs a hit of citrus.”

At the beginning of the demonstration, head chef Sam Tarneberg explains the restaurant’s approach. “This is how we cut limes at Taquiza,” he says. “It might sound strange, but there really is a specific way to do it.”

He then points out the method most people commonly use. “Most people start like this,” he says, placing the knife vertically along the length of the lime. “We don’t do that,” he adds, before rotating the lime sideways and slicing it horizontally straight through the middle. He then proceeds to cut the lime into smaller wedges.

“We cut it this way, and then divide it into wedges like this,” Tarneberg explains as he demonstrates. “The main reason is so you avoid the white pith here,” he says, pointing to the thin edge of the lime wedge. “When you squeeze it, the juice doesn’t spray everywhere. Instead, it flows exactly where you want it to go.”

By cutting across the lime’s natural segments, the wedges release juice more easily and efficiently. The result is noticeably more juice, with far less mess — no splashing, no wasted drops, and no juice flying unpredictably into your face.

The technique sparked a wave of surprised reactions from social media users. One commenter joked, “Raise your hand if you’ve been cutting limes the wrong way your whole life,” accompanied by a raised-hand emoji.

Another TikTok user admitted, “I always cut it wrong and then stab it repeatedly to get more juice out. Somehow a drop still ends up flying straight into my eye every time.”

One viewer shared a professional experience that supported the method: “This is how I used to cut limes at a taco shop where I worked, and I actually got scolded for not following their training. I kept doing it anyway because the limes gave more juice, more wedges, and customers stopped complaining about ‘dry’ limes. They weren’t dry — they were just cut wrong.”

Others agreed, noting the practical science behind the technique. “Cutting it this way means you slice through all the membranes of the lime segments,” one person explained, “so you naturally get more juice when you squeeze it.”

Another viewer summed up the collective regret with humor: “I really wish this video had shown up 30 minutes ago — I had just finished cutting six limes for a party.”

For home cooks and professionals alike, this simple cutting adjustment proves that small techniques can make a surprisingly big difference in the kitchen — especially when it comes to getting the most out of a humble lime. 🍋