Nourishments—

Doctor Onion To The Rescue

By Nancy K. Crevier

Some of the meals I make actually bring tears to my family’s eyes. Not tears of joy, always, but tears induced by the pungent attack of sliced and diced onions on their delicate orbs.

For more than 5,000 years, onions, a member of the genus allium and cousin of the pleasingly fragrant lily, have been used medicinally, in the culinary world, in death rites, and as aphrodisiacs. Most likely originating in the Middle East or Asia, the onion made its way via explorers and conquerors to other parts of the world, including Europe. It is said that Christopher Columbus introduced the onion to the Americas, but native Americans had already for centuries used wild onions to treat illness and as a food flavoring. Even so, the new varieties of globe onions were embraced world-wide, being easy and inexpensive to grow, and thus handily available to  even the poorest of people. Along with bread, onions were regarded as a staple food.

Onions figured largely in the afterlife of the Egyptians, and it was not uncommon for the strongly scented vegetable to be sealed in a sarcophagus with a mummy, perhaps in hopes that the acrid scent would reawaken the dead.

More commonly, onions have been used through the centuries as a tonic for improving or preserving  health. Globe onions, of which there are presently over 200 varieties, have been touted as diuretics, and as a boon to eye, heart, liver, lung, and intestinal health. The properties of the onion are believed to thin the blood, lower cholesterol, and fight respiratory illnesses. Red and yellow onions, and the shallot, are a source of natural quercetin, a flavonoid that is a powerful antioxidant, making it an agent in the fight against the growth and spread of cancers. Raw onion has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Onions mellow considerably in cooking and are a culinary “must have.” The delicious flavor they impart to so many recipes make it simple to partake of their positive attributes. From delicately minced chives and lacy sprinklings of scallions to robust, spoonfuls of caramelized onions, what feast is free of this rotund root? It makes it way into soups, stews, sauces, tarts, jams, relishes, biscuits, and more. Thin, round slices of white or red onions add vitality to a sandwich and add punch to a salad. Whether raw, roasted, simmered or braised, without the humble onion, our culinary tour de force might be more like a culinary faux pas.

They are, however, undeniably stinky. When an onion is pierced, the broken cells generate sulphenic acids that decompose into an irritating gas. That gas rises to the unprotected eye where it mingles with water and produces a dilute sulphuric acid. That in turn produces the gush of tears and runny nose that most people experience while cutting onions.

White or sweet onion varieties like the Vidalia or Texas Sweet contain less of the irritating acids, one solution to avoiding a trail of tears when cutting onions. Other solutions include breathing through the mouth, holding a piece of bread in the mouth, or cutting the onion under cold, running water. Most effective is probably to chill the onion beforehand, inhibiting the formation of the strong gases, and to use a very sharp knife.

“Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers,” said William Shakespeare, but really who wants to lick any fingers on which the essence of onion lingers? A thorough rub with a cut lemon can remedy that dilemma and leave the fingertips more pleasantly appealing.

Healthy, inexpensive, low calorie, low fat, and tasty to boot. Hand out the hankies. It’s time to eat onions.

This recipe, which first appeared in the May 2005 issue of Bon Appetit, is recommended as a delicious accompaniment to cocktails.