The pearl onion (''Allium ampeloprasum'' var. ''sectivum'' or ''A. ampeloprasum'' 'Pearl-Onion Group'), also known as button onion, baby onion or silverskin onion in the UK, is a close relative of the

leek A leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of Leaf sheath, leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a "s ...

(''A. ampeloprasum'' var. ''porrum''), and may be distinguished from common onions by having only a single storage leaf, similar to cloves of

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

. In French they are known as ''oignon grelot''. One English-speaking reference also mentions the term ''petit poireau antillais''.

Cultivation and storage

Pearl onions are cultivated mostly in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, the Netherlands, and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, usually in home gardens, although formerly on a commercial scale. They are mostly used for

pickling Pickling is the process of food preservation, preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either Anaerobic organism, anaerobic fermentation (food), fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects t ...

Consumption

Because of its uniquely small size and a taste sweeter than that of a common onion, it has also been used in dishes ranging from mid-20th-century American

casserole A casserole (French language, French: diminutive of , from Provençal dialect, Provençal , meaning 'saucepan') is a kind of large, deep cookware and bakeware, pan or bowl used for cooking a variety of dishes in the oven; it is also a categor ...

dishes such as succotash to sweetly flavored onion

relish A relish (a pickle-based condiment) is a cooking, cooked and pickling, pickled culinary dish made of chopped vegetables, fruits or herbs, typically used as a condiment to enhance a staple. Examples are chutneys and the North American relish, a p ...

es in

Indian cuisine Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian subcontinent. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally av ...

. It can also be used in stews soups or sautéed (fried) with other vegetables. It can also be used in

cocktails A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, shrubs, and bitters. Cocktails vary widely acro ...

such as "martini standing". Pearl onions are a staple to the cuisine of Northern Europe. Also in modern Europe they are used as a flowering plant, and in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

as a cut flower. Pearl onions contain chemical compounds that have health benefits including helping

cardiovascular In vertebrates, the circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the body. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, that consists of the heart a ...

health and stabilize blood sugar levels, and acting as an

antioxidant Antioxidants are Chemical compound, compounds that inhibit Redox, oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce Radical (chemistry), free radicals. Autoxidation leads to degradation of organic compounds, including living matter. Antioxidants ...

and

anti-inflammatory Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation, fever or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs reduce pain by inhibiting mechan ...

Common onions as a substitute

The majority of onions grown for pickling are common

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

s (''A. cepa''), which are normally much larger, but are grown to a small size suitable for pickling by planting them so densely that each one has very little room to grow. Common onions grown in this way are often referred to as "pearl onions" even though they do not belong to the same family as true pearl onions.Linda Griffith and Fred Griffith White varieties of common onions grown in this way for pickling include ''Crystal Wax''Linda Griffith and Fred Griffith and ''White Bermuda''. There are red varieties as well, which are milder in flavour. Common onions grown from seed to produce small bulbs for pickling are ready to harvest in 90 days. In their fresh state they can be stored for up to a month in a cool, dry, dark place.

Cultural references

Larry Wall Larry Arnold Wall (born September 27, 1954) is an American computer programmer, linguist, and author known for creating the Perl programming language and the patch tool. Early life and education Wall grew up in Los Angeles and Bremerton, Wash ...

's yearly State of the Onion speeches about advancements in

Perl Perl is a high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, dynamic programming language. Though Perl is not officially an acronym, there are various backronyms in use, including "Practical Extraction and Reporting Language". Perl was developed ...

programming, an allusion to the many layers of the language, are named as a pun both on the pearl onion and the U.S. president's

State of the Union The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a Joint session of the United States Congress, joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning ...

addresses.

References

Onions Food plant cultivars {{vegetable-stub