Can you imagine a recipe without the Onions? This wonderful bulb vegetable, one of the oldest edible sources known to humankind, is found in a bewildering array of recipes and preparations, be it your favorite salad, or mouth-watering gravy or curries. It has also been in used in traditional medicines since ancient times for its health promoting and curative properties.
Botanically, the vegetable belongs to the Alliaceae family of the genus, Allium and known scientifically as: Allium cepa.
The plant grows about 2 feet tall and bears an underground globular stem, which consists of modified leaves arranged in whorls. There are many cultivar onions grown around the world. The average crop takes about three to four months time. Top greens or scallions and flower heads are also eaten all around the world.
The sharp, pungent smell of onions is due to its sulfur compound, allyl propyl disulphide. Spanish red onions are generally less strongly flavored than white or brown varieties, which makes them ideal for use in raw salads.
Shallot (Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum) is a variety of the onion that produces a cluster of small-elongated bulbs from a single planted bulb. Shallots are relatively smaller and tastes sweeter than onions.
Source: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/onion.html
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