Pearl onion

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Pearl onion
Pearl onions.jpg
Pearl onions and peas topping a crockpot dish
Species Allium ampeloprasum var. sectivum or A. ampeloprasum 'Pearl-Onion Group'
Cultivar 'Pearl onion'

The pearl onion (Allium ampeloprasum var. sectivum or A. ampeloprasum 'Pearl-Onion Group'), [1] also known as button, baby or silverskin onion in the UK, [2] is a close relative of the leek (A. ampeloprasum var. porrum), and may be distinguished from common onions by having only a single storage leaf, [3] similar to cloves of garlic. In French they are known as oignon grelot. One English-speaking reference also mentions the term petit poireau antillais. [4]

Contents

Cultivation and storage

Pearl onions are cultivated mostly in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, [5] usually in home gardens, [1] although formerly on a commercial scale. [4] They are mostly used for pickling. [6]

The majority of onions grown for pickling are common onions (A. cepa). [7] They are grown to a small size suitable for pickling by planting at a high density. [8]

Known small white varieties include Crystal Wax, [5] or White Bermuda. [9] Red varieties are milder in flavour. [10] Pearl onions are ready to harvest from seed in 90 days. [9] They can be stored for up to a month in a cool, dry, dark place. [10] [11]

Consumption

Pickled pearl onions. Jar of pickled onions in fridge.jpg
Pickled pearl onions.

Because of its uniquely small size and a taste sweeter than that of a common onion, [2] [9] it has also been used in dishes ranging from mid-20th-century American casserole dishes such as succotash to sweetly flavored onion relishes in Indian cuisine. It can also be used in stews soups or sautéed (fried) with other vegetables. [12] [2] [13] It can also be used in cocktails such as "martini standing". [5]

Pearl onions are a staple to the cuisine of Northern Europe.[ citation needed ] Also in modern Europe they are used as a beautiful flowering plant and in Israel as a cut flower. [4]

Pearl onions contain chemical compounds that have health benefits including helping cardiovascular health and stabilize blood sugar levels, and acting as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. [10] [11] [ better source needed ]

Cultural references

Larry Wall's yearly State of the Onion speeches about advancements in Perl 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 addresses.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shallot</span> Variety of small onion

The shallot is a cultivar group of the onion. Until 2010, the shallot was classified as a separate species, Allium ascalonicum. The taxon was synonymized with Allium cepa in 2010, as the difference was too small to justify a separate species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garlic</span> Species of edible plant

Garlic is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeastern Iran and has long been used as a seasoning worldwide, with a history of several thousand years of human consumption and use. It was known to ancient Egyptians and has been used as both a food flavoring and a traditional medicine. China produces 76% of the world's supply of garlic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onion</span> Bulbous vegetable, grown for food

An onion, 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 classified as a separate species until 2011. Its close relatives include garlic, scallion, leek, and chive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scallion</span> Vegetable derived from various species in the genus Allium

Scallions are vegetables derived from various species in the genus Allium. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chive, and Chinese onions.

<i>Allium tuberosum</i> Species of onion native to southwestern parts of the Chinese province of Shanxi

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<i>Allium fistulosum</i> Species of plant

Allium fistulosum, the Welsh onion, also commonly called bunching onion, long green onion, Japanese bunching onion, and spring onion, is a species of perennial plant, often considered to be a kind of scallion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree onion</span> Species of flowering plant

The tree onion is a perennial plant similar to the common onion (A. cepa), but with a cluster of bulblets where a normal onion would have flowers. Tree onions are also known as topsetting onions, walking onions, or Egyptian onions. Genomic evidence has conclusively shown that they are a diploid hybrid of the shallot and the Welsh onion (A. fistulosum). However, some sources may still treat the tree onion as A. cepa var. proliferum or A. cepa Proliferum Group.

African cuisine is a staple of the continent's culture, and its history is entwined with the story of the native people of Africa. The foods that native Africans eat have been influenced by their religions, as well as by their climates and lifestyles. The first Africans to inhabit the continent were hunter-gatherers who ate what they could find in nature. As agriculture became more common in Africa, so did agriculture-based diets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solo garlic</span> Type of garlic with a single clove

Solo garlic, also known as single clove garlic, monobulb garlic, single bulb garlic, or pearl garlic, is a type of Allium sativum (garlic). The size of the single clove differs from approximately 25 to 50 mm in diameter. It has the flavour of the garlic clove but is somewhat milder and slightly perfumed. The appearance is akin to that of a pickling onion, with white skin and often purple stripes. Compared to traditional garlic, Solo garlic offers the advantage of being easy to peel quickly.

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Pickled onions are a food item consisting of onions pickled in a solution of vinegar and salt, often with other preservatives and flavourings. There is a variety of small white pickled onions known as 'silverskin' onions; due to imperfections they are pickled instead of being wasted. They are frequently used as an essential component of the Martini cocktail variant known as a Gibson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White onion</span> Onion cultivar

White onion or Allium cepa are a cultivar of dry onion which have a distinct light and mild flavour profile. Much like red onions, they have a high sugar and low sulphur content, and thus have a relatively short shelf life. White onions are used in a variety of dishes, such as those of Mexican and European origin. Their uses in dishes often relate to their mild nature, they are often included in dishes to provide a light, fresh and sour taste to dishes and are often added uncooked to dishes such as salads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crop wild relative</span> Wild plant closely related to a domesticated plant

A crop wild relative (CWR) is a wild plant closely related to a domesticated plant. It may be a wild ancestor of the domesticated (cultivated) plant or another closely related taxon.

<i>Allium victorialis</i> Species of flowering plant

Allium victorialis, commonly known as victory onion, Alpine leek, and Alpine broad-leaf allium is a broad-leaved Eurasian species of wild onion. It is a perennial of the Amaryllis family that occurs widely in mountainous regions of Europe and parts of Asia.

<i>Allium</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae

Allium is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants with hundreds of species, including the cultivated onion, garlic, scallion, shallot, leek, and chives. The generic name Allium is the Latin word for garlic, and the type species for the genus is Allium sativum which means "cultivated garlic".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leek</span> Vegetable in the onion family

The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of Allium ampeloprasum, the broadleaf wild leek. The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus Allium also contains the onion, garlic, shallot, scallion, chives, and Chinese onion. Three closely related vegetables, elephant garlic, kurrat and Persian leek or tareh, are also cultivars of A. ampeloprasum, although different in their uses as food.

The precise taxonomy of the genus Allium is still poorly understood with incorrect descriptions being widespread. With over 850 species distributed over the Northern hemisphere Allium is the sole genus in the Allieae, one of four tribes of subfamily Allioideae (Amaryllidaceae). New species continue to be described and Allium is both highly variable and one of the largest monocotyledonous genera, but the precise taxonomy of Allium is poorly understood, with incorrect descriptions being widespread. The difficulties arise from the fact that the genus displays considerable polymorphism and has adapted to a wide variety of habitats. Furthermore, traditional classications had been based on homoplasious characteristics. However, the genus has been shown to be monophyletic, containing three major clades, although some proposed subgenera are not. Some progress is being made using molecular phylogenetic methods, and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, including the 5.8S rDNA and the two spacers ITS1 and ITS2, is one of the more commonly used markers in the study of the differentiation of the Allium species.

References

  1. 1 2 Fritsch, R.M.; N. Friesen (2002). "Chapter 1: Evolution, Domestication, and Taxonomy". In H.D. Rabinowitch and L. Currah (ed.). Allium Crop Science: Recent Advances. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing. p. 9. ISBN   0-85199-510-1.
  2. 1 2 3 "Onion". waitrose.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  3. AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center. "Onion cultivation". Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "Parisian Onions". traveltoeat.com. 17 June 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Linda Griffith and Fred Griffith Onions, Onions, Onions: Delicious Recipes for the World's Favorite Secret ... , p. 126, at Google Books
  6. Hanelt, Peter (2001). "Alliaceae". In P. Hanelt (ed.). Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops (except ornamentals). Berlin: Spring-Verlag. p. 2266. ISBN   3-540-41017-1.
  7. Fritsch, R.M.; N. Friesen (2002). "Chapter 1: Evolution, Domestication, and Taxonomy". In H.D. Rabinowitch and L. Currah (ed.). Allium Crop Science: Recent Advances. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing. p. 20. ISBN   0-85199-510-1.
  8. Brewster, James L. (1994). Onions and other vegetable alliums (1st ed.). Wallingford, UK: CAB International. p. 212. ISBN   0-85198-753-2.
  9. 1 2 3 "Pearl Onions". cooksinfo.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 "Pearl Onions". bonappetit.com. 6 February 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  11. 1 2 "Pearl onion nutrition selection storage". fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  12. Pearson, Liz (21 December 2007). "SKINNING A PEARL ONION". saveur.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  13. Maister, Kathy. "How to Peel Pearl Onions". startcooking.com/. Retrieved 23 January 2017.