The Incredible Tasty and Versatile Onion

By Uncle Paul

Powerful, sweet, hot, yet not hot, tasty, intriguing, a symbol of the universe, long- lasting yet fragile, a healer, alike yet so different, red, white, brown, yellow, or green, and an incredible part of history all describe probably my favorite vegetable, the delightful versatile onion.

Today we take a journey to Egypt. In Egypt, onions were actually an object of worship. The onion symbolized eternity to the Egyptians who buried onions along with their pharaohs. The Egyptians saw eternal life in the anatomy of the onion because of its circle-within-a-circle structure. Paintings of onions appear on the inner walls of the pyramids and in the tombs of both the Old Kingdom and the New Kingdom. King Ramses IV, who died in 1160 BC, was entombed with onions in his eye sockets.

For over 5,000 years onions have been used for medical purposes. Egyptians numbered over 8,000 onion-alleviated ailments. The Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed onions as a diuretic, wound healer, and pneumonia fighter. During World War II, Russian soldiers applied onions to battle wounds as an antiseptic. Alexander the Great believed onions restored courage and so he fed large quantities of them to his armies. During the American Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant used onion juice as an antiseptic to clean wounds, and refused to move his army until he was given a large supply.

Some health studies have shown raw onions to be effective in lowering overall cholesterol while raising HDLs, the good cholesterol. In addition, onions kill infectious bacteria, help to control blood sugar, aid in dissolving blood clots, and help to prevent cancer. At the University of California at Berkeley, researchers found that yellow and red onions, along with shallots, contain quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that acts as an anti-cancer agent to block the formation of cancer cells. One and one-half to three and one-half ounces of raw onions eaten regularly contain enough quercetin to offer cancer protection. White onions lack this antioxidant. Researcher Terrance Leighton, PhD, of the University of California at Berkeley also learned that quercetin deactivates the growth of estrogen-sensitive cells often found to cause breast cancer. Asthma sufferers may also benefit from a hearty dose of onions. Researchers discovered a sulfur compound contained in onions that can prevent the biochemical chain reaction that leads to asthma attacks

With 1/2 cup of chopped raw onions, you'll tally up a mere 30 calories. On the protein scene, 1/2 cup of cooked onions touts 1.4 gms, while the raw have .9 gms. The fat content of this quantity barely registers at .2 gm for cooked onions and .1 gm for raw. The folic acid content offers a surprising 15.8 mcg for the cooked, and 15.2 mcg for raw. Both raw and cooked onions have trace amounts of B vitamins, iron, and zinc but stand out with potassium, magnesium, and calcium. While potassium registers 174.3 mg for 1/2 cup cooked onions, raw onions come in at 125.6 mg. Vitamin C, though not record-breaking, delivers 5.5 mg and 5.1 mg respectively. Scallions pack a powerful punch of vitamin A with 193 IU for one-half cup raw with their tops.

Here are a few of the common varieties:
Yellow storage onions last long, are hot, and make you cry. They are a dry onion with a lot of flavor. Their heat disappears with cooking.

White storage onions are hot but with a slightly sharper, cleaner flavor than yellow.

Red onions are sweeter somewhat crisper, pungent, and a bit coarser. They add a beautiful color to a special salad.

Boiling onions are small, hot, and wonderful simmered in stew.

Sweet onions are of course sweet and high in water content, low in heat, and they perish quickly, and are excellent eaten raw.

Leeks are hot, coarse, and chewy but when cooked develop a warm oniony flavor; and when sautéed they become almost buttery in texture.

Scallions or green onions are mild and enjoyable both cooked and raw.

Shallots are delicate onions in taste and aroma. They are incredible as a base for sauces, splendid in omelets, caramelize beautifully. The French refer to the shallot as the caviar of the onion family.

Onions contain complex sulphur compounds. When you cut into an onion, two chemical reactions take place. First, when a knife cuts through the cells of an onion, its enzymes release a strong odor. Second, the onion releases allicin, a volatile sulfur gas that irritates the eyes and sends one rushing for a tissue.

Basically it is an onion a day that keeps the doctor away. If you’re going to conquer the world like Alexander the Great take a whole lot of onions and enjoy one of the great miracles of Mother Nature, the delightful, versatile onion.

Uncle Paul, along with his wife Calla, owns Uncle Paul’s European Style Open Air Produce Market, 2310 SE Hawthorne, 503-484-8612 or visit www.unclepaulsproduce.com.