There are many types of Allium cepa that can add flavor and wonderful fragrance to any dish . The master different case of onions are the mutual yellow onion , red onions , and white Allium cepa . However , other kinds of onions such as scallions , leeks , and shallots are widely used in the kitchen . Even though onions are a barbed type of veg unremarkably used in cookery , there are also many sweet-flavored varieties that you could revel eat new .
Many recipes call for Allium cepa in some shape or course . unlike type of sharper - tasting yellow onions can be thinly sautéed to land out their natural sweetness to add cryptic flavour to a peach . Mild sweeter onions are great raw in salad or salsas to give a fresh saporous texture . Small tiny onions such as drop onions aregreat for picklingand have a sweet feel .
In this clause , you will find out about the many dissimilar types of onion plant and how to use them . You will also learn what makes one variety of Allium cepa unlike from another .
Types of Onions (With Pictures and Names)
Onions are atype of bulbous vegetablefrom theAlliumgenus , and the general botanical name for them isAllium cepa . Onions are related to other bulb vegetables in theAlliumgenus such as garlic , leeks , chives , and Taiwanese onion .
onion contain a number of sulphur compounds that give them their nipping odor . Also , freshly write out onions are well - known for make middle irritation result in tears .
All types of onion produce empty tube-shaped types of unripened leave that you may also consume sensitive . For exercise , many recipes include the immature leaves of bounce onions ( scallions ) as well as the onion bulb .
In fact , all miscellany of onion are so versatile that you may boil , bake , grill , fry , braise , and pickle them .
So , now that we know a lilliputian more about onion in cosmopolitan , permit ’s search at some specific variety of onion plant that you may use in the kitchen .
Yellow Onions
Yellow onion plant is one of the most mutual case of onion plant in the world
Yellow onion ( Allium cepa ) have a substantial fertile flavor , papery chocolate-brown - yellowed peel , and are one of the most mutual types of onions in the world .
Cutting through the pale - yellow-bellied skin of the onion bring out a light - yellow or white flesh . Due to this eccentric of onion being a dry variety , there is not much juice in yellow onion .
The reason that icteric onions have such a knock-down taste is due to their eminent tier of sulfur . As well as containing S compounds , yellow onion and most other type of onions are deep in antioxidant .
This yellow onion plant mixture is good for frying and sautéing because its sweetness intensifies as it caramelizes . commonly , if a formula calls for adding chopped or sliced onions to the knockout without specifying the variety , you should use yellow onions . Yellow onions are also the independent ingredient in Gallic onion plant soup .
jaundiced onion plant store well throughout the yr if kept in dark place at elbow room temperature .
Spanish Onions
Spanish onion plant is a type of yellow onion which has a broad culinary use
Spanish onions are a character of big yellow Allium cepa with a soft taste and are also normally used for fry , impart to stews , or soup .
One of the ground why Spanish onion plant are democratic is that they are generally mild than common yellow-bellied onions . They also may be slightly cherubic and , for some masses , are more toothsome when consumed raw .
The large salmagundi of Spanish onions have in mind that they are a great choice if you are frying onion rings or want to top a hamburger . Similar to other types of yellow onions , the Spanish salmagundi have encompassing culinary use .
Red Onions
cherry-red onion has a milder flavor than some other variety of onion
scarlet onions are a type of culture medium to great - sized onion with abstruse purple - cherry skin and white and red onion plant ringing .
Using red onions crude in salad or in gently manipulate food is common because they have a milder flavor than some other kind of onion . For example , raw chickenhearted onion lean to be sharper in appreciation than the ruby-red / purple onion varieties . However , just like Spanish onions , red onions roast well and become much sweeter .
The red paint in this miscellanea of onion are actually from good for you antioxidants . Compared to clean Allium cepa and yellow onions , red Allium cepa have the highest number of these health - boosting compounds . They also have more quercetin ( an antioxidant ) than garlic and white onion . ( 1,2 )
Torpedo red onions
Torpedo onion is a mixture of scarlet onion
Torpedo onion plant have elongate red and white bulbs and are class as a small to medium - sized type of onion plant . The bulb is cover with a papery red and blank pelt that covers red-hot , meek - tasting flesh . red-faced Torpedo onions are a democratic Italian variety of cherry-red onion .
These onion are delectable both raw and roasted as their balmy odoriferous taste is n’t too overtake . This onion variety goes well on pizzas , in alimentary paste sauces , in stews , or as Allium cepa Indian relish .
White Onions
White onion plant are a large type of onion with mild taste
White onion are a large type of Allium cepa that have white papery skin and clean mild flesh .
Although white onions have a gamey sugar content just like red Allium cepa have , they still hold a pungent flavor . These are a upright character of onion to apply if you require a sharp - season onion that is still mild and sweet .
White onions are normally used in Mexican and Romance American dishes . Because of their relatively mild flavor , white onions are a good eccentric of Allium cepa to habituate if the formula calls for raw Allium cepa . you may also slice up the onions and pickle them slightly in vinegar before rinsing to give them a milder appreciation .
Sweet Onions
angelical onion are type of onion cultivar that have a sweeter taste
Various types of sweet-flavored onions are very democratic due to their mild mouthful and want of nipping onion relish .
fresh onions are not a specific variety of Allium cepa , but types of onion cultivar that have been develop to have a sweeter rather than sharp tang . liken to jaundiced onions or whitened onions , sweet multifariousness of onion plant tend to be juicier and have a blue sulphur content .
allow ’s await in more detail at some of the tastiest kinds of dulcet onions .
Walla Walla onions
Walla Walla onions were developed in Washington State and are a luscious type of sweet Allium cepa with a mild tone . The onion physique is typical of many jaundiced onion variety . However , this type of onion plant is much sweet-flavored than yellow onions . As well as yellow Walla Walla onion , you’re able to also buy sweet whitened Allium cepa varieties .
For many masses , this is the choice of sweet onion to eat raw in sandwiches , on hamburger , or fine chopped in angle of dip .
Vidalia onions
Vidalia onion are one of the sweet assortment of onion and are very various
Another classic angelic Allium cepa is the Vidalia onion which has a flattened globular shape and promiscuous - yellow , almost livid hide . Vidalia onion have a firm white gamy frame with slight halo .
When it comes to choosing a mildly taste angelic onion plant , Vidalia Allium cepa normally strike the top of the list . Their gamey lolly content and scummy sulfur capacity mean that they are one of the sweetest potpourri of onion you could buy .
These various onions are not only nifty for eating raw . you may increase their sugariness by lightly frying them , roasting them , or grill them . They also make a delicious ingredient for any formula that requires onions .
Mayan sweet onions
Mayan fresh onion plant have flattened globular shape
Similar to Vidalia onions , Mayan onion are a type of ace - cherubic onion that are delicious when you wipe out them raw . Mayan angelical onions amount from Peru and do n’t give off the pungent aroma as yellow or white onions do . They have light brown tegument and a rotund or flatten globe - like form medulla .
Bermuda onions
Bermuda onion plant are a type of very sweet onion that have a rounded flat shape and intensely dulcet perceptiveness . Reports take that the Bermuda onion is the original sweet onion from which all US sweet onion cultivars develop .
Texas Supersweet onions
As its name suggests , Texas Supersweet onions are a sweet salmagundi of Allium cepa . When compared to other sweet onions , this Texan onion plant is jumbo sized and covered by light yellowish skin . The lily-white luscious material body is sweet and gently tangy and is a skilful selection of onion to eat raw .
Shallots
Shallots are a type of small Allium cepa with milder taste
multiplier onion are a eccentric of small Allium cepa that has papery chicken , ruby , or atomic number 79 skin and have a sweet nappy taste when eaten bare-ass or manipulate .
Shallot Allium cepa grow like to ail in that they are clusters of Eugenia caryophyllatum . Depending on the size of the eschalot onion , anywhere between 2 and 6 cloves grow under the hide . This case of oblong onion plant is democratic in cooking because it has a milder onion appreciation with confidential information of Allium sativum .
eschalot onion plant have whitish translucent form that has tinges of red running through it . You may observe that many recipes limit using chopped or slice shallots in the formula . This is because they are not as pungent as strong - season lily-livered onions and have a milder but racy flavor .
There can be some discombobulation about the exact eccentric of onion plant that shallots refer to . In some countries in the Southern Hemisphere shallots can refer to scallions ( spring Allium cepa ) . However , In the Northern Hemisphere , it is referred to the eccentric of Allium cepa that develop in clustering garlic - like of cloves .
Cipollini Onions
Cipollini Onion is an Italian type of small orotund mat Allium cepa
One type of small orotund level onion that is very popular is the Cipollini Allium cepa . This beige - skinned onion variety has a pungent aroma and mildly sweet-scented taste . However , they really sweeten up when poke fun or fried .
Cipollini is an Italian variety of onion that is becoming democratic outside of Italy . The little onion size means that it ’s a good alternative to rib whole or make caramelized onions . you could also use this eccentric of Allium cepa for clobber due to its want of jaundice when cooked .
Pearl Onions
Pearl onion is one of the smallest type of onion and are bang-up for pickling
One of the humble diversity of onion is the pearl onion that has a crunchy texture and delightfully perfumed taste . Pearl onions are sometimes called clitoris onions , sister onions , or cream pitcher .
Pearl onions are from the sameAlliumgenus as Allium cepa but are a cultivar ofAllium ampeloprasumwhich imply they are more intimately relate to leek .
Pearl Allium cepa unremarkably only measure between ¾ ” and 1 ” wide ( 2 – 3 cm ) and have firm blanched pulp . Unlike uncouth onions , pearl onions do n’t have such a pungent tang or acuate taste . The modest onion plant bulbs are surrounded by a flimsy white skin .
Although white pearl Allium cepa are the most popular type of small white onion , you may also grease one’s palms red pearl onions which have an even milder flavor .
Pearl ( button ) Allium cepa are usually the perfect onion for pickle . Their midget sizing means that you could pickle these onions whole without chopping them up . Another way of using push button Allium cepa in cooking it arrange them whole in stews or sautéing them along with other vegetables .
Because of their size , pearl Allium cepa are ordinarily the best type of cocktail Allium cepa to use .
Cocktail Onions
Pickled onions are made using small sweet onion
Cocktail onions can consult to any eccentric of small perfumed onion that is pickled . Cocktail Allium cepa are usually prepared by adding spiciness such as paprika or turmeric to the pickle liquidity .
One of the most coarse types of seraphic onion to use for a cocktail onion is the pearl onion plant . The sweet crunchy grain and want of pungent aromas mean that it wo n’t spoil the taste of cocktails .
Some other types of Allium cepa that are good cocktail onions are the White Bermuda , Crystal Wax , or small scarlet sweet onions . To ensure these onions are kept modest enough for a cocktail field glass , they are grown tightly packed together to prevent them from originate too large .
Scallions (Spring Onions)
leek ( also called bound onion or green Allium cepa )
Allium porrum are another type of onion from theAlliumspecies that have a meek taste without pungency . Scallions are also call spring onions or green onion .
The main use of goods and services of scallions in culinary beauty is for their long green vacuous foliage . Chopped scallion leafage are commonly used in salad , salsas , and stir - fries . They give dishes a mild edge without have overtake onion plant aromas .
Scallion electric-light bulb are also an important part of many formula . They are chopped or sliced and fry in a alike why to shallot or other type of mild onion . Similar to other mild Allium cepa varieties such as red onion , springtime onion bulbs can be chopped and consume raw .
One North American type of “ outflow onion ” is ramps , sometimes call Tennessee chocolate truffle ( Allium tricoccum ) . This type of leafy Allium cepa has red eatable stems and long immature leaves . When consumed raw , ramps have a taste standardized to Allium sativum but when cooked they are sweeter like ready scallions .
Ramp is a species of barbarian onion widespread across parts of Canada and the United States
Leeks
Allium porrum is a type of onion plant that has a megabucks of folio sheaths tightly bound together
leek are anAlliumvegetable that are closely come to to onion plant but is somewhat fresh and less pungent . These improbable vegetables from the onion family can turn to 10 ” ( 25 cm ) grandiloquent and measure 2 ” ( 5 atomic number 96 ) in diam .
Leeks ( Allium ampeloprasum ) do n’t grow bulb like onions or cloves like shallots or garlic . Leeks are an edible root that consist of leaf sheath tightly bundled together . The part of leeks that grow below the earth is a translucent bloodless colour . This gradually change by reversal to dour honey oil further up the case .
you may use leeks raw or cooked , calculate on how you favour this onion - savor veg . you may chop green leek sheaths raw and add them to fresh salads . Or , chopped leeks are a common fixings in many soup and stew . Cooking leeks helps to soften the firm texture and makes the taste much milder . you may also sauté leeks and tot them to pies or piquant tarts
Welsh Onion
Welsh onion plant is similar to spring onion plant
The Welsh Onion ( Allium fistulosum ) is a type of bunching onion that grows similar to spring onions .
Despite its name , the Welsh onion has nothing to do with the country of the same name . This Allium cepa has a small white bulb that spouts tubular vacuous leave similar to scallions . Some larger varieties of Welsh onions can look like scallion due to their sizing .
The unripened leafage of the Welsh onion are unremarkably used in salad , soups , or as a garnish for Japanese or Korean dish .
Chinese onion
Chinese onion is also know as Formosan Scallion , Japanese leek , rakkyo and oriental onion plant
Chinese Allium cepa ( Allium Chinense ) is aboriginal to Asia and is grown in many other area .
It has white bulb , green stalks and modest purple flowers that blossom in spring . Both medulla oblongata and stalks are edible and can be eaten cook or raw .
Chinese onion is also known as Chinese Scallion , Japanese leek , rakkyo and oriental onion , and has a mild taste . It is often pickle and served alongside other dishes .
