Written by How many kinds of onion can you think of? 
Lemme see, green onions, white onions, yellow onions, red onions, sweet onions (like walla-walla’s).. Do you think of onions as spicy, tangy, pungent or sweet? How many do you cook with? Rarely eaten on their own, onions are used world wide in many ways – they can be pickled, caramelized, powdered, chopped fresh or dry, stuffed, frozen or dehydrated.
Used extensively in cooked dishes, they can be consumed raw in relishes and salads.
Fundamental to many cuisines, from onion rings in the USA, to pickled onions in England and Australia’s fish and chip shops. Indian curries, one the vegetables essential to the cajun trinity or the French mirepoix. Basic veggie in soup stocks.
Historically, onions were probably cultivated in mass by Egyptians, along with leeks and garlic. They have even found royal mummies with onion traces. Greeks believed they “balanced the blood”. Romans used them as a tonic. By the middle ages they were a traded commodity, bartered for and gifted. The onion made its way to the America’s through Mr Chris Columbus in 1492.
They contain chemical compounds believed to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, anticancer, and antioxidant properties and have been used medicinally throughout history. Prescribed as a treatment for bites, sore throats, blisters and boils – onions especially shallots have antioxidant properties.
There are so many recipes that use onions, some subtly as in the cheese and onion soup, or the Chicken caccitore posted this month – some additional subtle uses are stroganoff or in the Cream of Jalapeno Soup you would never know that there is onion in this soup. I know it sounds crazy, but it is one of my favorite soups
From Gumbo to Gyoza or potstickers- we cannot do without onions!
Caution – onions, especially onion powder is toxic to dogs and none too feline friendly either.
