TikTok Is Divided On The Correct Way To Use A Cheese Grater

In a world that seems to be defined more and more by disagreement, it's no wonder the TikTok community is divided over something as straightforward as the proper way to grate cheese.

Creator @sidneyraz has found some degree of TikTok fame with their video series, "Here's something I wish I knew before I was in my 30s." If their videos are to be believed, @sidneyraz just learned how to close a potato chip bag without a clip and how to use a pistachio shell to remove another pistachio shell. In one of their more viral videos, @sidneyraz said they just learned you're supposed to lay a cheese grater on its side, then grate. The cheese collects inside the grater and can be sprinkled over your nachos or homemade pizza without any mess.

This bit of kitchen conventional wisdom has made the rounds before. A tweet demonstrating the horizontal grater method created a similar stir in 2018, according to The Kitchn. But three years is a long time in the social media realm. @sidneyraz just enlightened a new generation of followers on TikTok.

Opinions were divided in the comments under @sidneyraz's viral cheese-grating video. A lot of people were impressed by this life hack, including some seasoned professionals. "I was a chef for 10 YEARS and never thought of this," one commenter said. It makes you wonder, what are they teaching people in culinary school? Another commenter latched onto this very point: "Learn from school: No. Learn from Sidneyraz: Yes!" The video's creator responded to this comment with, "The system failed us."

Other commenters, however, defended the more traditional vertical method, if for no other reason than that's the way they've been doing it. One TikToker even suggested that the horizontal method takes some of the fun out of grating cheese: "You won't be able to put it on a plate, grate a literal tower of cheese, and see if it stays standing when you pull it off! Just me?"

Yet another commenter implied that if something isn't broken, why fix it? Their comment said, "Why not put a plate under it and hold it vertical?" The ever-diplomatic @sidneyraz responded with, "Also good." Maybe we could all learn from @sidneyraz's agree-to-disagree attitude. 

One commenter said the 30-something TikTok creator's content was good for their perspective on life. "My perception of people has changed," this person said. "I thought I was the only one who didn't know a lot of things. I feel better about myself now."