Onions deliver more than flavor. Their main “better-for-you” compounds include flavonoids (like quercetin) and several reactive sulfur compounds. The cut matters because, in a whole onion, enzymes and sulfur-containing precursors sit in separate compartments. When you cut, chop, or grate, you rupture cells, they mix, and new sulfur compounds start forming within seconds—the same chemistry behind the sharp smell and tears.
Different cuts don’t magically add nutrients, but they can change how much of that fresh sulfur chemistry you generate and how the onion behaves under heat (and whether compounds
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