Trying to earn a perfect score on Rate My Chives

In the kitchen of Sydney’s Fratelli Paradiso, chef Trisha Greentree watches my wrists falter as I try to cut chives. “You’ve got to keep them more sturdy,” she says. She corrects my posture—“squeeze those glutes”—and demonstrates the steady, circular motion that turns a bundle of spindly stalks into immaculate, exacting circles.

For many chefs, chopping chives is as basic as a musician knowing their scales: a small, foundational skill that signals attention to detail. Rate My Chives, an Instagram account with more than 93,000 followers that includes top chefs, treats those circles like a competitive sport.

Its UK-based founder, a chef who started the account in 2022 after spotting poorly cut chives while dining, scores submissions almost daily. He says uneven or bruised chives can be a harbinger of a bad meal at high-end restaurants, though he admits the standard is different for a local pub.

Australia, Sydney

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