The onion family is large and tasty. Here are a few of my favorite cousins, be they subtle or bold.
Green Onions
These are actually not their own type of onion. Instead, they are onions that are pulled, bunched and sold before they bulb.
Chives
Most famous as a topping for baked potatoes, the leaves are great in salads.
Garlic
The stinking rose of Italian cooking. It differs from onion in that its bulb is composed of multiple cloves, arranged inside a membrane. When you buy garlic it should be firm with plenty of dry papery covering and no sprouting. Store in paper bags in a cool spot with low humidity.
Leeks
Mmmmmm, a friend to potatoes and soup. Leeks have flat rather than tubular leaves. They may also be eaten fresh or used in cooked dishes.
Scallions
Technically, scallions are not another type of onion, but immature bulbing onions.
Shallots
Shallots have a mild onion-garlic flavor. The bulbs have papery brown skin and purple-tinged white flesh.
Did you know that the word onion comes from the Latin word unio for "single," or "one"? This is because the onion plant produces a single bulb. Garlic, a cousin to the onion, produces many small bulbs. The name also describes the union (also from unio) of the many separate layers of the bulb.
Onions and garlic are part of the Allium family, and both are rich in powerful sulfur-containing compounds. Yes, these compounds are what give off the strong odors of both onions and garlic. Onions are very healthy, they contain allyl propyl disulphide. They also have chromium which is important in the body's cells respond to insulin. Onions are also a good source of vitamin C.
