40. ONIONS are the chief commercial vegetable of the bulb crops. They
have been cultivated from the earliest times, their native country being
Central Asia. Closely allied to the onion are several other bulb
vegetables, including garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives, all of which
are used more extensively for flavoring dishes than for any other
purpose. Fig. 10 shows several varieties of this family, the group of
three in the upper right corner being garlic; the bunch in the lower
right corner, leeks; the bunch in the lower left corner, green onions;
and the remainder of those shown in the illustration, different
varieties of dried onions, that is, onions that have been allowed
to mature.
41. This entire class of food is characterized by a typical, volatile
oil, which in most cases is so strong as to be somewhat irritating and
which causes the vegetable to disagree with many persons. This flavor,
however, can be almost entirely dissipated by cooking, so that many
persons who cannot eat the various members of the onion family raw can
tolerate them cooked. In food value, which is found principally as
carbohydrate in the form of sugar, this class of foods is not very high,
being about the same as carrots, beets, and other root vegetables. Some
persons believe that onions have wonderful medicinal value in curing
colds and preventing them, but there is really no foundation for such
a belief.
[Illustration: Fig. 10]
42. ONIONS.--As has been pointed out, onions are of two general
varieties, dried and green. _Dried onions_, as shown in Fig. 10, are
those which have been allowed to grow to maturity and have then been
cured, or dried, to a certain extent. Such onions are in demand at all
seasons. _Green onions_, also shown in Fig. 10, are those which are
pulled, or taken out of the ground, before they have matured and are
eaten while fresh. They are especially popular in the spring, although
they have a rather long season. Each of these classes has many
varieties, which vary in flavor and in color, some of the dried ones
being yellow, some red, and others white. All dried onions have
excellent keeping qualities, so, after purchasing, no special care need
be given to them except to store them in a comparatively cool, dry
place. Deterioration is due chiefly to sprouting, for as soon as the new
plant begins to grow from the center of the onion, the remainder becomes
soft and loses much of its flavor. The green, immature onions, however,
will not keep for any length of time, and in order to keep them fresh
until they are used, they must be stored in a cool, damp place.
[Illustration: FIG. 11]
43. GARLIC.--The variety of onion known as garlic is very much desired
by the people of southern Europe, where it originated. As Fig. 10 shows,
it resembles the onion in appearance, but it consists of several parts,
or small bulbs, called _cloves_, which are encased in a covering of thin
white skin. Garlic has a very strong penetrating odor and a biting taste
that resemble the odor and taste of onion, but that are much ranker. It
is little used by Americans except as a flavoring for salads and various
kinds of highly seasoned meats. In reality, a very small amount of
garlic is sufficient to lend enough flavor, and so the bowl in which a
salad is served is often merely rubbed with garlic before the salad is
put into it. No difficulty will be experienced in recognizing garlic in
the markets, for here it is found in long strings that are made by
braiding the dry stems together.
44. SHALLOTS.--Closely allied to garlic are shallots, which are native
to Syria, where they still grow wild. They are said to have been brought
into Europe by the Crusaders. The bulbs of this vegetable are similar to
those of garlic, being compound in form, but instead of being enclosed
in a thin covering, they are separate when mature, as Fig. 11 shows.
Shallots have a strong flavor, but it is not so rank as that of garlic,
nor does the odor remain in the mouth so long as that of onion. Many
persons like shallots for flavoring stews, soups, salads, and pickles.
45. LEEKS.--Another member of the onion family that is more highly
prized and more extensively raised in Europe than in the United States
is leeks. As Fig. 10 shows, leeks do not produce a bulb as do onions. In
this vegetable, the lower parts of the leaves grow close together and
form a bulb-like stem, or neck, which is fairly solid and which
constitutes the edible part. The odor and flavor of leeks are similar to
those of onions, but they are somewhat weaker. The fleshy stem may be
bleached by banking it with earth, and when this is done, the flavor
becomes more mild and the texture more tender than in the onion bulb.
Like shallots, leeks are used to flavor stews, soups, and similar foods.
46. CHIVES.--The member of the onion family known as chives is a small
plant whose roots remain in the ground for many years and produce year
after year dense tufts of slender, hollow leaves. These leaves grow to a
height of about 6 or 8 inches and resemble the tops of onions except
that they are much smaller. Chives, which have a more delicate flavor
than onions, are much used for flavoring soup, stews, salads, meats, and
other vegetables and as a garnish for salads. When used for any of these
purposes, they are cut into tiny pieces.