by Patricia Bunch

Created on: May 14, 2009

Perhaps allium vegetables are the most valuable of all eatable plants. For their size these little bulb vegetables carry a big punch. Folklore from the mountains of Kentucky to the rainy streets of London, have told of the power of a braid of garlic to keep the evil spirits at bay when worn around ones neck or hung on the door sill of ones home.

For years garlic and onions have been used by the early medicine practitioner for all kinds of ailments and modern research has embraced some of the early uses as legitimate. Onions induce sleep. Garlic reduces blood pressure and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Aside from folklore and medicinal uses, the allium vegetables carry a bounty of flavor for their size. Cooking and eating would be ever so bland without the allium vegetables, better known as the aromatics veggies. Onions, scallions, leeks, garlics, shallots, and chives are the most common of the allium vegetables used in everyday cooking served up in dishes all across the world since allium vegetables are found in many different varieties world wide.

In rural America, onions, in some form are used daily. Hamburgers are always served with onions either chopped and piled over the pattie, or a nice slice of white onion is sandwiched between the bun and the burger somewhere amongst the pickles and lettuce. Onions come in all sizes and colors; white, yellow, red, and green, from mildly hot to very hot, depending on the soil where they are grown and the variety of onion.

Scallions are simply baby onions harvested before they have time to mature into a large bulb and still have tender green tops. Many call these delicious little beauties spring onions, or green onions. Often one serves green onions raw along side a bowl of soup beans in the southern part of the country, while in other applications they are used as a garnish or chopped and mixed into a salsa.

Shallots are not onions but more closely related to garlic. There are usually a couple cloves grown together and are often separated before going to market. Shallots are used in a recipe similar to an onion. The flavor is more mild than most onions and the size of a clove is smaller than most mature onions. Salsas and salads are good applications where shallots fit nicely when just a little onion flavor is desirable. One can use a whole clove of shallot and not have to worry how to store half of a left over onion.

Leeks appear to be very large green onions. Leek favor is milder than most onions.

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