How to Cut Vegetables on the Diagonal

You may have noticed that many Chinese recipes call for vegetables to be cut "on the diagonal." Diagonal cutting is a simple Chinese cooking technique that can be used with many vegetables. Cutting vegetables on the diagonal exposes more of the vegetable's surface area to the heat. Besides making the vegetable cook more quickly, it allows it to absorb more of the sauces and seasonings it is cooked with. In this photo of Chicken With Ginger, the thicker parts of the scallion have been cut on the diagonal