The fragile papery exterior of the white onion is at once magnificent and a terror. It is literally, “onion skin”, transparent, fragile looking and mighty. Mighty difficult to clean up.
Onions are considered pungent and they do indeed stimulate digestion. Onions have a distinctive smell and very smell of onions cooking will bring calls from another room of “ something smells good” and “smells like summer”, bringing memories both vague and specific as scent is one of the strongest triggers to memory.
Slice through the paper and then it happens. Like a wave, a thick onion scent hits the nose. Then the eyes. Then the tears.
It’s worse for some people than others. So what can you do? Seems we have been dealing with this for a long time. The onion, a member of the Alium family has been around “forever” and grows in many colors and sizes. The purple onion is often served raw as it is considered mild. “Ha!”, I say, but, onions have been part of civilizations diet for about 5000 years. A staple, I’d say, so how to cope?
However you get those little fellas sliced or diced, onions can be a garnish, a flavoring or something much more substantial. One onions soup called “French Onion soup” is served with a cover of a thick slice of bread and covered with melted gruyere or Swiss cheese. A whole deep-fried onion is another unique onion only dish. I don’t know much really about those but they are pretty.
Full of inflammation fighting properties, onions are also heart healthy reducing blood pressure, but don’t skip your meds. Enjoy both raw or cooked for all the benefits.
Find your way to cutting them up if you haven’t already and as Julia has said so often and so well, “Bon appetite”.