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Onions are an essential addition to most dishes and salads – one of our natural treasures that we have on our table. It is a natural antibiotic, which makes it valuable not only as an ingredient in dishes and salads, but also as a primary component in a number of folk medicine remedies. However, different varieties of onions have different qualities. To make the most of their useful properties and to know which variety is best suited for which purpose, see the following characteristics:
Sweet onion – suitable for cooking, easily cut into rings. Just smother it. Onion (Allium cepa), also called scallion or just onion, is a biennial plant of the Onion genus, widely used in cooking. The bulbs of the adult plants before the onset of winter are mainly used. Also used are the leaves of the young plants, often called spring onions or green onions.
It has a characteristic strong bitter taste and pungent smell, especially in the bulbs. They soften when cooked, making the flavor sweet. Bulbs have a dry outer shell and a fleshy, layered interior. Used around the world for culinary purposes, they come in a variety of shapes and colors.
White onion – the most crunchy and spicy in taste. Use for sauces and salads. This is a bulb with white scales, which is rarely found in our country. It has a sharper taste and a shorter shelf life. It is often used in Mexican cuisine, in white sauces, guacamole, salsas, tacos, potato and pasta salads, barbecue. It is suitable for eating raw, grilled, sauteed or stewed.
Red onion – ideal in raw state for eating and healing recipes from folk medicine. Red onions taste similar to yellow onions, although they are meatier. It is most often used raw and is a perfect addition to salads and potatoes because of its color and taste. It is extremely rich in quercetin, a bioflavonoid that prevents the movement of free radicals. Quercetin has antifungal and antibacterial properties. Red onions are also rich in chromium, which is why they are beneficial for people who suffer from insulin resistance. It is low in calories, but contains a lot of vitamin C and B6 and protects against colds, viruses, psoriasis and others.
Yellow onion – best for cooking and most commonly used. It is also used in natural remedies. Yellow onions are also rich in allicin and quercetin, as well as B vitamins, including folate (B9) and pyridoxine (B6). They play an important role in speeding up the metabolism and in the production of red blood cells. Yellow onions also contain antioxidants that reduce the risk of developing cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It can also successfully fight bacteria such as E.coli, staphylococci and others.
Shallot – lighter and thinner. Use for fine dishes and side dishes. The shallot (Allium ascalonicum) is from its family and is becoming increasingly popular in our latitude. It is a vegetable from the onion family, and its name comes from the city of Ashkelon. It is believed to have been brought to Europe during the Crusades.
Onions come in a wonderful variety of shades and textures, from pure white to deep purple, and in flavors that range from almost as sweet and mild as an apple to deeply spicy. The fact is that shallots are an elegant European cousin to the rest of the onions we know and love so well, and are a truly great addition to our cooking.
Although they are related, shallots differ from onions in some key ways. First of all, unlike regular onions, which grow as single bulbs, shallots grow in bunches, rather like garlic. They are slightly sweeter than regular onions, and their flavor is more subtle. This makes them particularly good as an addition to salads or slow-roasted dishes, where their sweetness can really enhance the dish. Shallots come in several different colors, with pale purple with brown skin being the most common.
Although both onions and shallots impart onion flavor, they are not really interchangeable. If you are using shallots instead of onions, add half the amount of shallots that I would put in a regular onion. Shallots add depth of flavor to soups, sauces, stews – and especially chicken and fish dishes. It is a typical acquaintance in French cuisine and is very often prepared flambé as a side dish.
Compared to the well-known onion, shallot is lighter, unobtrusive and does not cause tears, which is a real happiness for every housewife.
Green onions are immature and have not yet formed a bulb or have only partially formed one. It is popular in Bulgarian cuisine and is one of the main ingredients in a number of salads, spring soups, soups, stews, rice dishes, even in meatballs, lamb recipes, etc. It is also often used in Chinese and Mexican cuisine. Green onions have a milder flavor than regular ones. It is eaten raw or cooked, but does not tolerate too long heat treatment.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/onions-and-garlic-heads-in-wooden-box-on-table-4197439/
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