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DISPONIBILI
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ARTICLES IN THE BOOK

  1. Almond
  2. Anise
  3. Apple
  4. Apricot
  5. Asparagus
  6. Aubergine
  7. Avocado
  8. Azuki bean
  9. Bamboo shoot
  10. Barley
  11. Basil
  12. Beet
  13. Bell pepper
  14. Blackberry
  15. Black-eyed pea
  16. Black pepper
  17. Black salsify
  18. Blueberry
  19. Bran
  20. Brazilnut
  21. Breadfruit
  22. Broccoli
  23. Brussels sprout
  24. Bulgur
  25. Capsicum
  26. Carambola
  27. Caraway
  28. Cardamom
  29. Carrot
  30. Cashew
  31. Cauliflower
  32. Celery
  33. Cereal
  34. Cherry
  35. Chestnut
  36. Chickpea
  37. Chile pepper
  38. Citron
  39. Clementine
  40. Cocoa
  41. Coconut
  42. Coffee
  43. Coriander
  44. Couscous
  45. Cranberry
  46. Cucumber
  47. Cumin
  48. Date
  49. Dill
  50. Fennel
  51. Fenugreek
  52. Fig
  53. Garden cress
  54. Garlic
  55. Ginger
  56. Ginseng
  57. Globe Artichoke
  58. Gooseberry
  59. Grape
  60. Grapefruit
  61. Greengage
  62. Guava
  63. Haricot bean
  64. Hazelnut
  65. Juniper
  66. Kentucky coffeetree
  67. Khaki
  68. Kiwifruit
  69. Kumquat
  70. Leek
  71. Legume
  72. Lemon
  73. Lentil
  74. Lettuce
  75. Liquorice
  76. Lupin
  77. Lychee
  78. Macadamia
  79. Maize
  80. Mandarin
  81. Marjoram
  82. Melon
  83. Mentha
  84. Millet
  85. Mustard seed
  86. Nutmeg
  87. Oat
  88. Olive
  89. Onion
  90. Opium poppy
  91. Orange
  92. Oregano
  93. Parsley
  94. Parsnip
  95. Passion fruit
  96. Pea
  97. Peach
  98. Peanut
  99. Pear
  100. Pecan
  101. Peppermint
  102. Pineapple
  103. Pistachio
  104. Plant
  105. Plum
  106. Pomegranate
  107. Potato
  108. Pulse
  109. Pumpkin
  110. Radicchio
  111. Radish
  112. Raisin
  113. Rambutan
  114. Rapini
  115. Raspberry
  116. Redcurrant
  117. Rhubarb
  118. Rice
  119. Rosemary
  120. Runner bean
  121. Rye
  122. Salvia
  123. Semolina
  124. Sesame
  125. Shallot
  126. Sinapis
  127. Sorghum
  128. Soybean
  129. Spearmint
  130. Spinach
  131. Squash
  132. Strawberry
  133. Sugar cane
  134. Sunflower seed
  135. Sweet potato
  136. Tamarillo
  137. Tamarind
  138. Tangerine
  139. Thyme
  140. Tomato
  141. Turnip
  142. Vanilla
  143. Vicia faba
  144. Walnut
  145. Watercress
  146. Watermelon
  147. Wheat
  148. Wild rice
  149. Zucchini

 

 
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    ENGLISHGRATIS.COM è un sito personale di
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    Roberto Casiraghi           
    INFORMATIVA SULLA PRIVACY              Crystal Jones


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FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
This article is from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion

All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GNU_Free_Documentation_License 

Onion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 
For the parody newspaper, see The Onion. For the technique of anonymous computer messaging, see Onion routing. For the architectual feature, see Onion dome.

Onion in the general sense can be used for any plant in the genus Allium but used without qualifiers usually means Allium cepa, also called the garden onion. Onions (usually but not exclusively the bulbs) are edible with a distinctive strong flavour and pungent odour which is mellowed and sweetened by cooking. They generally have a papery outer skin over a fleshy, layered inner core. Used worldwide for culinary purposes, they come in a wide variety of forms and colours.

Onions may be grown from seed or very commonly from "sets". Onion sets are produced by sowing seed very thickly one year, resulting in stunted plants which produce very small bulbs. These bulbs are very easy to set out and grow into mature bulbs the following year, but they have the reputation of producing a less durable bulb than onions grown directly from seed and thinned.

Either planting method may be used to produce spring onions or green onions, which are just onions harvested while immature, although "green onion" is also a common name for the Welsh onion, Allium fistulosum which never produces dry bulbs.

Onions are frequently used in school science laboratories because they have particularly large cells which are easily visible even through rather low-end optical microscopes.

History

Onion fields near Elba, New York
Onion fields near Elba, New York

It is thought that bulbs from the onion family have been utilised as a food source for millennia. In Palestinian Bronze Age settlements, traces of onion remains were found alongside fig and date stones dating back to 5000 BC. It would be pure conjecture to suggest these were cultivated onions. The archaeological and literary evidence suggests cultivation probably took place around two thousand years later in ancient Egypt. This happened alongside the cultivation of leeks and garlic and it is thought that workers who built the pyramids were fed radishes and onions.[1]

The onion is easily grown, transportable, and has good storage qualities. Egyptians worshipped it, believing that its spherical shape and concentric rings symbolized eternal life. Onions were even used in Egyptian burials as evidenced by onion traces being found in the eye sockets of Ramesses IV. They believed that if buried with the dead, the strong scent of onions would bring breath back to the dead. The onion then made its way to Greece where athletes ate large quantities of onion because it would lighten the balance of blood. Roman gladiators were also rubbed down with onion to firm up their muscles. In the Middle Ages onions were such an important food that people would pay for their rent with onions and even give onions as gifts. Doctors were also known to prescribe onions to end headaches, snakebites and hair loss. The onion was introduced to North America by Christopher Columbus on his 1493 expedition to Haiti.

Onions are a fundamental part of much Indian cooking and are called Pyaaz in Hindi. It is a staple food in India, both due to its use as a common base for curries and as the cheapest and most widely available vegetable for the poor.

Onions are available in fresh, frozen, canned, and dehydrated forms. Onions can be used, usually chopped or sliced, in almost every type of food, including cooked foods and fresh salads, and as a spicy garnish; they are rarely eaten on their own but usually act as accompaniment to the main course.

Depending on the variety, an onion can be sharp and pungent or mild and even sweet.

They appear to be at least somewhat effective against colds, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and other diseases and contain anti-inflammatory, anticholesterol, anticancer, and antioxidant components such as quercetin[citation needed].

In many parts of the undeveloped world, onions are used to heal blisters and boils. In the United States, products that contain onion extract (such as Mederma) are used in the treatment of topical scars.

Onions and crying

As onions are sliced, cells are broken open. Onion cells have two sections, one with enzymes called alliinases, the other with sulfides (amino acid sulphoxides). The enzymes break down the sulphides and generate sulphenic acids. Sulphenic acids are unstable and decompose into a volatile gas called syn-propanethial-S-oxide. The gas then dissipates through the air and eventually reaches one's eye, where it will react with the water to form a dilute solution of sulphuric acid. The sulphuric acid irritates the nerve endings in the eyes, making them sting. The tear glands then produce tears to dilute and flush out the irritant.

A firm in Toronto, Canada, attempted to utilize this property of onions in the manufacture of a form of tear gas for civilian use. It was marketed in 1991 but was unsuccessful as it had an effective shelf life of only three months.

Supplying ample water to the reaction prevents the gas from reaching the eyes. Therefore cutting the onions under running tap water or completely under water can help, as can rinsing the onion and leaving it wet while cutting. Chilling the onion will prevent the enzymes from activating, which will limit the amount of gas generated. Some people will freeze their knives to enhance this effect. Finally, using a sharp knife will limit the cell damage, and therefore prevent the release of enzymes.

Different species of onions will release different amounts of sulphenic acids, thus some will cause more tear formation and irritation than others.

The characteristic odor of onions can be removed with lemon.

Types of onion (Allium cepa)

  • Bulb onions - Grown from seed (or onion sets), bulb onions range from the pungent varieties used for dried soups and onion powder to the mild and hearty Sweet onions, such as the Vidalia from Georgia or Walla Walla from Washington that can be sliced and eaten on a sandwich instead of meat.
  • Multiplier onions - Raised from bulbs which produce multiple shoots, each of which forms a bulb.
    • Shallot (most of the types in the markets are Allium cepa)
    • Potato onion
  • Tree onions or Egyptian onions - These produce bulblets in the flower head, and are the result of hybridisation between Allium cepa and welsh onions.

Related species

The genus Allium is a large one, and most of the species are considered to be "onions" in the looser sense. Commonly raised vegetable alliums include the leeks, garlic, elephant garlic, chives, shallots, Welsh onions and Chinese chives. There are also species, such as Allium moly, grown for ornament.

Several species of Allium, including A. canadense and A. diabolense, can be collected in the wild and their leaves and bulbs used as food.

In language

In the English vernacular, "an onion" is a difficult situation, the use stemming from the onion's tendency to irritate or inflame the eyes. Conversely, the term "onion" can be used to describe any state of being, as in the phrase, "[someone] really dices my onion!"

External links

  • National Onion Association

Eye Irritation Information

  • How stuff works article on eye irritation by onions
  • Library of Congress article (more details on eye irritation)

Eclectic Herbal Information

  • King's American Dispensatory @ Henriette's Herbal
  • Mrs. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal" @ Botanical.com
  • Potato Onion (Allium cepa, var. aggregatum) Mrs. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal" @ Botanical.com
  • Tree Onion (Allium cepa, var. proliferum) Mrs. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal" @ Botanical.com

Homeopathic Information

  • Allium cepa (all-cep.) "Kent's Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica" by Dr Robert Séror
  • Allium cepa "A Primer of Materia Medica for practitioners of Homœopathy" by Timothy Allen

See also

  • Onion Johnny
  • Vidalia onion
  • Onion skinning

References

  1. ^ Onions Allium cepa. selfsufficientish.com. Retrieved on 2006-04-02.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion"