Onion
(Allium cepa)
Description
The plant from which the onion comes has hollow, reed-like leaves. A thick, greenish white flower blooms on a stem that can be up to a metre long. The onion itself grows under the ground. There are a number of varieties, such as the large, soft, green onion, the small, soft pearl onion or shallots, the red onion, the spring onion and the winter onion.
Origin
The onion originally comes from south-west Asia.
The United States and Egypt are the biggest producers, followed by India, Mexico, Spain and China.
Onions from Egypt and California are the most suitable for making onion powder. The Netherlands is a very big producer of onions, but these onions are not suitable for drying.
Did you know?
The ancient Greeks placed onions on altars to the gods, and the slaves who built the pyramids used onions as food. Columbus brought onions from the Dominican Republic at the end of the 15th century, and thus spread them to Mexico, Europe and America.
It was long assumed that onion was an essential component of gunpowder.
In 1864, Ulysses S. Grant advised the government not to send the army into the field without onions.
Three planned battles did not go through as a result.
In days gone by, it was believed that hanging a bunch of onions around the neck protected one from the devil. Medicinal properties assigned to the onion include: diuretic, promotes healing of wounds, and particularly its anti-cold and flu properties.
Quality
The best onion powder is as light as possible, without little black spots.
Somewhat older onion tends to get a bit yellower, but is still perfectly usable.
Uses
A little onion powder can be added to just about anything savoury. The use of onion powder is not recommended for sweet dishes.