Onion

Onions

By: Marie Morud

Not only do onions add abundant flavor to a wide variety of food, they also offer significant health benefits.  Pungent and crunchy when raw, yet soft and sweet once cooked, onions have been a diet staple likely since prehistoric times.

It is unclear where onions may have originated.  Some studies say Central Asia, whereas others suggest Iran and West Pakistan.  Since onions grew wild, they were likely consumed and domesticated simultaneously.  Onions were one of the earliest cultivated crops, some 5000 years ago, because they were less perishable than other produce, easy to transport, and grew well in a variety of soils and climates.  During these times, onions helped sustain human life because they prevented thirst, and were easy to dry and consume at a later time when food might have been scarce.  

Onions were seen as a symbol of eternal life in ancient Egypt due to their circle-within-a-circle structure.  It is because of this that onions were often placed with pharaohs and kings when they were entombed or mummified.  In the Middle Ages, Europeans used onions as a remedy for headaches, snakebites, and even hair loss.  Onions were also used as a form of currency to pay rent, and given as gifts at weddings.

Onions are a root vegetable, with the edible bulb growing underneath the soil.  Peel away the outer papery layers to reveal even more layers on the inside.  Onions come in several varieties: red, yellow, white, pearl, scallion (green), Cipolline, Vidalia, leek, and shallots, with flavor profiles ranging from sweet to spicy to pungent.

While not known for their nutritional value, onions offer several health benefits.  B vitamins help cells grow and stay healthy, while vitamin C strengthens our immune systems and aids our bodies in healing quickly.  Onions contain fiber, which aids in healthy digestion and keeps us feeling full.  Onions also contain allicin, an antioxidant that helps keep our hearts healthy and protects our cells from damage.

Onions are known for making you tear up when you cut them.  This is because the cell walls of the onion are damaged through cutting, which causes the release of a sulfur compound into the air.  This compound converts to sulfuric acid when it comes into contact with water, which is why it produces a stinging sensation in the eyes and subsequent tears.  There are ways to decrease this effect while cutting onions.  One way is to chop from the top, not the root end.  The root end of the onion has the highest concentration of sulfuric compounds, so keeping this end intact releases less sulfur.  As an added bonus of not cutting into the root, the layers of the onion stay together more easily while cutting.  You can also chill your onion for 30 minutes prior to cutting.  Another suggestion to reduce pungency, sharpness, or aftertaste is to soak onions in a bowl of ice water for 90 minutes prior to cutting.