onion

onion, (Allium cepa), herbaceous biennial plant in the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae) grown for its edible bulb. The onion is likely native to southwestern Asia but is now grown throughout the world, chiefly in the temperate zones. Onions are low in nutrients but are valued for their flavour and are used widely in cooking. They add flavour to such dishes as stews, roasts, soups, and salads and are also served as a cooked vegetable.

Physical description

The common onion has one or more leafless flower stalks that reach a height of 75–180 cm (2.5–6 feet), terminating in a spherical cluster of small greenish white flowers. Some flower clusters produce bulbils, tiny secondary bulbs that can be used to asexually propagate new plants. The concentric leaf bases of the developing plant swell to form the underground edible bulb. Most commercially cultivated onions are grown from the plant’s small black seeds, which are sown directly in the field, but onions may also be grown from small bulbs or from transplants. Onions are very hardy and can survive in a wide range of growing conditions. The bulbs vary in size, shape, colour, and pungency, though warmer climates generally produce onions with a milder, sweeter flavour than do other climates. The onion’s characteristic pungency results from the sulfur-rich volatile oil it contains; the release of this oil during peeling or chopping brings tears to the eyes.

History

Onions are among the world’s oldest cultivated plants. They were probably known in India, China, and the Middle East before recorded history. Ancient Egyptians regarded the spherical bulb as a symbol of the universe, and the concentric spheres of the Aristotelian cosmos were also likened to an onion. Its name is probably derived from the Latin unus, meaning “one.” The Romans introduced the onion to Britain and, in the New World, Native Americans added a highly pungent wild onion (Allium canadense) to their stews. Curative powers have been attributed to onions throughout the centuries; they have been used in folk medicine for such varied ailments as colds, earaches, laryngitis, animal bites, burns, and warts.

Britannica Quiz

What’s on the Menu? Vocabulary Quiz

Onion products, varieties, and cultivars

Most whole onions are slightly dried before marketing, making their skins dry and paper-thin. Onions are also available in various processed forms. Boiled and pickled onions are packed in cans or jars. Frozen onions are available chopped or whole, and bottled onion juice is sold for use as a flavouring. Dehydrated onion products have been available since the 1930s; such products include granulated, ground, minced, chopped, and sliced forms. Onion powder is made by grinding dehydrated onions and is sometimes packaged in combination with salt. Dried onion products are used in a variety of prepared foods and are also sold directly to the consumer for use as condiments.

There are a number of commercial varieties and cultivars of onions available:

• Globe-shaped onions may be white, yellow, or red. They have strong flavour and are used chiefly for soups, stews, and other prepared dishes and for frying.
• Bermuda onions are large and flat, with white or yellow colour and fairly mild taste. They are often cooked and may be stuffed, roasted, or french-fried. They are also sliced and used raw in salads and sandwiches.
• Spanish onions are large, sweet, and juicy, with colour ranging from yellow to red. Their flavour is mild, and they are used raw and sliced for salads and sandwiches and as a garnish.
• Italian onions, or cipollini onions, are flat and are red, white, or yellow in colour and often have a mild, sweet flavour. They are used raw for salads and sandwiches, and their outer rings make an attractive garnish.
• Shallots are a small, angular variety of onion. They are typically white with a brown or red skin and have a mild flavour. The green leaves can also be eaten.
• Pearl onions are not a specific variety but are small round onions harvested when 25 mm (1 inch) or less in diameter. They are usually white and pickled and used as a garnish and in cocktails.
• Spring onions are small white onions that are picked when between 25 and 38 mm (1 and 1.5 inches) in diameter; the tops are sometimes left attached. They are used to flavour foods having fairly delicate taste, such as omelets and other egg dishes, sauces, and peas. They are also served boiled or baked.
• Green onions, also called scallions, are young onions harvested when their tops are green and the underdeveloped bulbs are 13 mm (0.5 inch) or less in diameter. Their flavour is mild, and almost the entire onion, including top, stem, and bulb, is used raw in salads and sauces, as a garnish, and as a seasoning for prepared dishes.