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Onions, Red
Hold on to your hats (and eyes), we're about to cut open this red onion and it'll bring loads of sharp but sweet aromas.
Of course, this should be sliced finely, they add a lifting purple haze to any pokey bowl or salad. They brown, or caramalise, well and are deliciously sweet when lightly cooked (but less vibrant in colour).
All cuisines worldwide — French, Italian, Indian, Japanese and more — place so much importance on the seemingly humble onion. Depending on how you cook this, it adds umami and depth, sweetness, and char. The length of cooking changes the sweetness and aromas (a properly sweated onion can be the difference between a mediocre or exceptional dish).
Onions are ~90% water so they are refreshing and crunchy raw, but become buttery and soft when cooked.
The onion is related to leeks, chives, and garlic (Allium genus), and similarly has medicinal properties.
Freshest in March and April.
Top Tips
For tearless cooking, place onions in the fridge before chopping, and put on a fan to blow away odours
Do you suffer after eating onions? If you do, consider buying green onions or leeks instead and use the green parts only - these are lower in FODMAPs but still full of flavour. Asafoetida, an Indian spice, is also a good substitute that adds onion flavour without FODMAPs.
