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Onion
Scientific Name: Allium cepa
Family: Liliaceae
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The onion, perhaps even more than garlic, has a starring role in the kitchen. Its scientific name is Allium cepa and it belongs to the lily family (Liliaceae). Like the shallot, it has tubular leaves, that is, hollow inside, and belongs to the subgenus Schoenoprasum. The history of the onion is as old as that of garlic. It originated in central Asia (Iran, Baluchistan, Afghanistan), and was already known to the Chaldeans long before the beginning of the Christian era. In ancient Egypt it was so highly valued that it was an object of worship, and its consumption was immense, as it was in the Greek and Roman worlds. During the Renaissance the onion was often cited in the works of many physician-botanists of the time, from Fuchs to Lobel, to Pier Andrea Mattioli. Its popularity has never declined. Commercially, the classification of onions is very complex because of the large numbers of cultivars and the small differences between them. There are several classes of onions, based on color of the bulb, place of origin (Bermuda, Spain), when harvested, and whether or not a bulb forms. Onions may be grown from directly sown seed, sets (small bulbs) or southern grown transplants. Spanish onions are usually yellow, and include Yellow Sweet Spanish, Nutmeg, Ebenezer, Stuttgarter, Buccaneer, Yellow Globe Hybrid and Yellow Utah. Red onion varieties such as Red Bermuda, Ruby and California Early Red are popular for garden culture. Crystal white wax, White Sweet Spanish, Milan Coppery and White Portugal are typical white varieties. Stuttgarter and Ebenezer are the most popular varieties for growing from sets. There is also the Florence Long, with an elongated bulb, not much known outside the Continent. Increasing in popularity in recent years are those onion varieties that are picked when very young or else do not form a bulb. These onions are called scallions or green or, in Britain, spring onions. For green onions, White Sweet Spanish, White Portugal, Japanese Bunching, Southport White Bunching and Evergreen Long and tender, with their leaves, and used as garnishes, in relish trays and in salads. To weaken the flavor, which can be too strong, the pieces can be kept under water for a few minutes. Peeling the bulb under water will prevent the eyes from watering. The cooked onions can be used boiled or baked and seasoned with butter, to be used as a vegetable with meat or fish or in a sweet and sour sauce. The onion is often an important ingredient in soups and stews. The leaves of young onions or of sprouting bulbs can be used instead of being thrown away. Another use is to add a boiled and finely ground onion to meat loaf. Onion rings, flouted and deep-fried, are excellent with steak. The young bulbs, or those from the small and flattened varieties, for example, the Italian borrettane, are also very suitable for pickling. In old herbals it is recommended to mix the onion with vinegar in order to "take away all blemishes, spots and marks on the skin." The chemical composition of the onion is as follows: solid residue, approximately 1%; protein, scarcely 1%; carbohydrates, about 6%; ash, around 2%. Onions produce 28 calories per 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams). From the dietary standpoint, the onion is not only a much valued flavoring, but is thought to be a diuretic and stimulant of the intestines. The vitamin content is modest. [Bianchini, Francesco, Corbetta, Francesco, Pistoia, Marilena, The Complete Book of Fruits and Vegetables, United States Translation: Crown Publishers, New York, 1976; Originally published in Italy as I Frutti della Terra, Arnoldo Mondadori Publisher, Italy, 1973]