by Bozena Hartley

Created on: May 12, 2009

Allium vegetables are perhaps the most widely used vegetables in the kitchen. They are perennial bulbous plants of the onion genus that have a characteristic smell and taste, due to their high sulfur content. There are over twelve hundred species of Allium and all of them are edible, however only a few are palatable. The ones that are the most flavorful are onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives.

ONION (Allium cepa) is also known as the garden onion or bulb onion. It is one of the oldest vegetables known to humankind. There are archaeological and literary records of onion use in ancient Egypt. In ancient Greece athletes ate onions, because it was believed that onions would lighten their blood. Roman gladiators were rubbed down with onions to firm up their muscles. In the Middle Ages onions were so popular, that people would pay with onions and give them as gifts. During those times doctors prescribed onions to induce bowel movement and erection, and also to relieve headaches, coughs, snakebites, and hair loss. The onion was first brought to North America by Christopher Columbus during his 1492 expedition.

Today onions are used all over the world. They can be eaten fresh, frozen, canned, pickled, or used in many dishes as herbs, in powdered, chopped, and dehydrated forms. They are rarely eaten on their own, but usually act as accompaniment to the main course. There are many onion varieties that differ in size and flavor. The majority of onions purchased in stores are the dry, yellow onions with brownish papery skin. They have a strong flavor and are good for cooking in soups and stews. They are also easy to store, because they do not spoil as quickly as other varieties. Then, there are the sweet and hearty kinds, like Vidalia, Georgia, Walla Walla and red onions. They are especially suited for eating raw, either sliced or chopped, in salads and sandwiches. Pearl onions, the smallest of the garden onions, white or red, and are often used for boiling and pickling. Fresh, green onions, also called scallions, are mild and sweet and are immature versions of onion plants rather than a different variety of onions.

Cutting or eating raw onions is known for causing eye irritation. Several chemical reactions, which take place during cutting (air exposure), result in a volatile gas called syn-propanethial-S-oxide. The gas diffuses through the air and once it reaches the eye, it binds to sensory neurons, creating a stinging sensation. Tear glands

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