Onion (English)
Pyaz
(Hindi)
Vengayam (Tamil)
The onion is believed to
have originated in Asia centuries before 2400 BC.
It is presumed that our
predecessors discovered and started eating wild onions very early - long before
farming or even writing was invented.
The onion is named after a
Latin word meaning large pearl.
The ancient Egyptians
worshipped the onion, believing that its spherical shape and concentric rings
symbolized eternity.
Onions have upright,
cylindrical, green leaves attached to the swollen leaf bases that form the bulb
below ground.
Onion plants grow to be
about two feet high. Onions range in size from less than 1 inch in diameter to
more than 4.5 inches in diameter.
The onion is a rugged plant
that can withstand some weather at below-freezing temperatures. The warmer
temperatures will generate a larger bulb.
Onion comes in three colors:
yellow, red, and white. Approximately 88 percent of the onion crop is devoted to
yellow onion production, with about 7 percent red onions and 5 percent white
onions.
Today, Onions are ranked
sixth among the world's leading vegetable crops.
The
Greeks used onions to fortify athletes for the Olympic Games.
Do not place onions near
potatoes because potatoes give off moisture and produce a gas that causes onions
to spoil more quickly.
Sulfuric compounds in onions
bring tears to your eyes. To cut down on the crying, chill the onion and cut
into the root end of the onion last.
Eat Parsley to get rid of
onion breath.
In India as early as the
sixth century B.C., the famous medical treatise Charaka - Sanhita celebrates the
onion as medicine - a diuretic, good for digestion, the heart, the eyes and the
joints.
Vitamins & Minerals:
Onions are rich sources of
vitamins A, B, C, G, protein, potassium, magnesium, calcium, folic acid and
fiber. Onions are low in sodium and contain no fat.
Antioxidants:
Onions contain quercetin, a
flavonoid (one category of antioxidant compounds) and that protects against
heart disease, cancer and tumor growth.
Blood Pressure:
Onions contain a variety of
other naturally occurring chemicals known as organosulfur compounds that have
been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Osteoporosis:
Research suggests onion
consumption has the potential to decrease the incidences of osteoporosis.
Ulcers:
Consumption of onions may
prevent gastric ulcers by scavenging free radicals and by preventing growth of
the ulcer-forming microorganism, Helicobacter pylori.
Onions are popular
everywhere and are used as both a condiment and a vegetable in almost any savory
food.
Serve raw onion slices with
kabobs, salads, sandwiches, burgers and subs.
Green onions are great for
garnishing and it also adds taste to fried rice and all kinds of soups.
Onion is used in almost all
Indian foods – veg/nonveg curries and snacks.
Onion is used in making pickle, raitha and chutneys.
Onion bajji and onion pakoda are easy to make crunchy snacks. |
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