scallions

Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chives, and Chinese onions. The leaves are eaten both raw and cooked.

Scallions produce hollow, tubular, green leaves that grow directly from the bulb, which does not fully develop. This is different to other ''Allium'' species where bulbs fully develop, such as commercially available onions and garlic. With scallions, the leaves are what is typically chopped into various dishes and used as garnishes.

Etymology and naming

The names ''scallion'' and ''shallot'' derive from the Old French ''eschalotte'', by way of ''eschaloigne'', from the Latin ''Ascalōnia caepa'' or "Ascalonian onion", a namesake of the ancient Eastern Mediterranean coastal city of Ascalon.

Other names used in various parts of the world include spring onion, green onion, table onion, salad onion, onion stick, long onion, baby onion, precious onion, wild onion, yard onion, gibbon, syboe (Scots), and shallot.

Varieties

Species and cultivars that may be used as scallions include
* '' A. cepa''
** 'White Lisbon'
** 'White Lisbon Winter Hardy' – an extra-hardy variety for overwintering
** Calçot
** ''A. cepa'' var. ''cepa'' – Most of the cultivars grown in the West as scallions belong to this variety. The scallions from ''A. cepa'' var. ''cepa'' (common onion) are usually from a young plant, harvested before a bulb forms or sometimes soon after slight bulbing has occurred.
** ''A. cepa'' var. ''aggregatum'' (formerly ''A. ascalonicum'') – commonly called shallots or sometimes ''eschalot''.
* '' A. chinense''
* '' A. fistulosum'', the Welsh onion – does not form bulbs even when mature, and is grown in the West almost exclusively as a scallion or salad onion.
* ''A.'' × ''proliferum'' – sometimes used as scallions

Germination

Scallions generally take 7–14 days to germinate depending on the variety.

Uses

Culinary

Scallions may be cooked or used raw, often as a part of salads, salsas, or as a garnish. Scallion oil is sometimes made from the green leaves, after they are chopped, lightly cooked, and emulsified in a vegetable oil.

In Catalan cuisine, '' calçot'' is a type of onion traditionally eaten in a ''calçotada'' (plural: ''calçotades''). An eponymous gastronomic event is traditionally held between the end of winter and early spring, where ''calçots'' are grilled, dipped in '' salvitxada'' or romesco sauce, and consumed in massive quantities.

In Ireland, scallions are chopped and added to mashed potatoes, known as champ or as an added ingredient to Colcannon.

In Mexico and the Southwest United States, ''cebollitas'' () are scallions that are sprinkled with salt, grilled whole, and eaten with lime juice, cheese and rice. They are typically served as a traditional accompaniment to ''asado'' dishes.
At the Passover meal (Seder), Afghan Jews and Persian Jews strike one another with scallions before singing " Dayenu", thus re-enacting the whipping endured by the Hebrews enslaved by the ancient Egyptians.

In Asian cuisine, diced scallions are often used in soup, noodle, and seafood dishes, sandwiches, curries, and as part of a stir fry. The bottom half-centimetre of the root is commonly removed before use.

In China, scallion is commonly used together with ginger and garlic to cook a wide variety of vegetables and meat. This combination is often called the "holy trinity" of Chinese cooking, much like the mirepoix (celery, onions, and carrots) in French cuisine or the holy trinity in Cajun cuisine. The white part of scallion is usually fried with other ingredients while the green part is usually chopped to decorate finished food.

In India, it is sometimes eaten raw as an appetizer. In north India, coriander, mint and onion chutney are made using uncooked scallions. It is also used as a vegetable with Chapatis and Rotis. In south India, spring onions stir fried with coconut and shallots (known as ''Vengaya Thazhai Poriyal'' in Tamil and ''Ulli Thandu Upperi'' in Malayalam) are served as a side dish with rice.

In Japan, tree onions (''wakegi'') are used mostly as topping of Japanese cuisine such as tofu. In Nepal, scallion is used in different meat dish fillings like momo and choyla (meat intertwined with scallion and spices).

In the southern Philippines, it is ground in a mortar along with ginger and chili pepper to make a native condiment called wet ''palapa'', which can be used to spice dishes or as a topping for fried or sun-dried food. It can also be used to make the dry version of ''palapa'', when it is stir fried with fresh coconut shavings and wet palapa.

In Vietnam, Welsh onion is important to prepare ''dưa hành'' (fermented onions) which is served for Tết, the Vietnamese New Year. A kind of sauce, ''mỡ hành'' (Welsh onion fried in oil), is used in dishes such as '' cơm tấm'', ''bánh ít'' and ''cà tím nướng''. Welsh onion is the main ingredient in the dish ''cháo hành'', which is a rice porridge used to treat the common cold.

See also

* ''Allium tricoccum''
* Chives
* Leek
* Onion
* Shallot

References

{{Allium

Asian vegetables
Northern Irish cuisine
Leaf vegetables
Onions