Onions: The Queen of Vegetables with Famous Foreign Countries

Wang Henian

There are many opinions about the origin of onions, but most of them believe that onions are produced in Central Asia, Southwest Asia, The possibility is greater in the plateau areas of Iran and Afghanistan in Asia Minor, because wild types of onions can still be found in these areas.

Because my country’s onions are exotic species, they were historically called shallots, green onions, etc. In addition, it also has other names such as garlic onion, ball onion, round onion, jade onion, green onion, and onion.

Onions are biennial or perennial herbaceous plants of the Allium genus in the Liliaceae family. The edible part is the underground fat bulb (i.e., the onion head). According to its skin color, it can be divided into three types: white skin, yellow skin and red skin. Among them, the white-skinned species have small bulbs, white or slightly green appearance, tender meat, juicy and spicy, good quality, and suitable for raw food. According to the shape of the bulb, it can be divided into five types: flat, oblong, oblong, spherical and oblate. In the early Republic of China, Xu Ke's "Qing Ye Lei Chao" described it as follows: "Onion, also known as jade green onion, is a perennial grass planted in borders. The stems are one or two feet high, and the underground bulbs are oblate. The leaves are hollow, like green onions but even thicker. Thin. In autumn, there are flower spindles among the leaves, with many small white flowers on the top, mixed with bulbs for food. "

Westerners have a special liking for this plant, and in Europe and America, onions are known as "onions." "Vegetable Queen". It is said that during the American Civil War, Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expedition Pelant once expressed an emergency to the Army: "Without onions, I cannot mobilize the army." The next day, three trains of onions carried by the Army Department helped him save his urgent need and save the army from disaster. Danger of dysentery.

At present, onions have become one of the main vegetables grown in my country, and are cultivated in both the north and the south. my country has become one of the four countries (China, India, the United States, and Japan) with large onion production volumes. The main planting areas in my country are Shandong, Gansu and Inner Mongolia.

According to determination, onions contain protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, carotene, caffeic acid, sinapinic acid, cinnamic acid, lemon acid salts, polysaccharides and various amino acids. Onions with a special spicy flavor also contain phytoncide, which has a good bactericidal effect and can prevent colds and treat many diseases.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that onions are pungent, warm and non-toxic. It has certain medicinal value. "Compendium of Materia Medica" says: "It is pungent when raw and sweet and warm when cooked." "Shu Materia Medica" says that it can "treat swelling and poison"; "Dietotherapeutic Materia Medica" says that it "warms the middle and lowers qi, eliminates grains and can be eaten. It kills insects and benefits the five internal organs and lacks Qi." However, some doctors also remind you to pay attention to the eating season and stop eating in moderation. "Compendium of Materia Medica" quoted Tang Mengxun's "Dietotherapeutic Materia Medica" and said: "It is also a smoked food. Eating it for a long time will damage the mind and nature, make people forgetful, damage eyesight, cut off blood vessels, and cause chronic diseases." Sun Simiao also said: "Don't eat in April. Shallots make people gasp for breath."

It is difficult to say exactly when onions were introduced to China. However, as late as the Jin Dynasty, the name "scallion", which has an obvious origin relationship with it, has appeared in the writings of literati. "Qimin Yaoshu" quotes Jin Guo Yigong's "Guangzhi" and says: "There are shallots, wood onions, and mountain onions."

So, who are the shallots recorded in "Guangzhi"? What about onions? Since there is no specific record in the article, it cannot be determined.

Some people believe that the shallot mentioned in "Guangzhi" is a type of small-planted onion. The outer skin of the bulb is russet, which is the common shallot in the south.

But the writings of Song people provide us with another answer. "Compendium of Materia Medica" quotes Liu Han and Ma Zhi's "Kaibao Materia Medica" of the Song Dynasty, and there is such a description: "Scallions grow in the valleys of Shu County. They look like garlic and are small, round in shape, with red skin, and long and sharp tips. Picked in May and June. "Judging from its description, it obviously refers to what people today call onions.

The Northern Song Dynasty pharmacologist Su Song's "Ben Cao Tu Jing" also says: "Scallions eat onions, and the roots and stems are thin and white. It is also said that the stems and leaves are slightly short, like golden lanterns. This is the case. There is a saying: It grows in the valley of Shu County, is small like garlic, round in shape and red in skin, slightly longer and sharp." "Compendium of Materia Medica" also analyzes: "The gourd is made according to "Sun Zhenren's Food Taboo". Onion, because its root resembles gourd and garlic. It is commonly called garlic onion, which fits this meaning. It seems that it comes from the Hu region in "Yinshan Zhengyao" written by Sun Zhenren. "Taboo" refers to the "Food Treatment" chapter in "A Thousand Gold Prescriptions for Emergency" and "A Thousand Gold Wings of Prescriptions" written by Sun Simiao, a famous doctor in the Tang Dynasty.

In the Ming Dynasty, onion cultivation became more common and people accumulated richer cultivation experience.

"Compendium of Materia Medica" says: "Scallions are grown by humans. They are sown in August and harvested in May. The leaves are like onions and the roots are like garlic. Their taste is like scallions and not very smelly. There are crystal onions in Jiangxi, with garlic roots and green leaves. "The name of onion appeared in the Qing Dynasty. "Lingnan Miscellanies" written by Wu Zhenfang, who mainly lived in the Kangxi period, said: "Onions are shaped like a single garlic, but without meat. It's like an onion. The strands are cut like silk, and the whole plate is very sweet and pungent. It grows like an ordinary onion and wilts in the winter."

Enter. After modern times, onion cultivation became more common due to its promising market. "Shanghai County Chronicles" in the seventh year of the Republic of China said: "Onions are foreign species and are widely sold among the people." It also introduces the common way to eat them: "With meat, it tastes quite good."

Onions can be placed in soups, salads, breads, stews, soufflés, cakes and other foods, and can also be baked, fried, smoked, steamed or eaten raw. Most of the dishes made with onions as main ingredients are suitable for home cooking, such as beef stew with onions, fried eel slices with onions, fried shrimps with onions, fried onions with leek flowers, roasted tofu with onions, fried chicken nuggets with onions, etc. They are common for people to use for themselves or for entertaining guests. dishes.

References (omitted)

"Secrets in the Ancestors' Vegetable Basket" (serial)

Copyright work: Ezuodengzi-2017-A-00016843