Scallion
From Atkinspedia
The Scallion, also commonly known as green onion or spring onion, is associated with various members of the genus Allium that lack a fully-developed bulb. They tend to be milder tasting than other onions and are typically steamed and set in salads in western cookery and cooked in many Asian recipes. Diced scallions are often used in soup, noodle, seafood, and sauce in eastern dishes. After removing the bottom half-inch or so of the root end, both the white bottoms and the green tops are commonly used.
The species most commonly associated with the name is the Welsh onion, Allium fistulosum. "Scallion" is sometimes used for the shallot. The words scallion and shallot are related and can be traced back to the Greek askolonion as described by the Greek writer Theophrastus; this name, in turn, seems to originate from the Philistine town of Ascalon (modern-day Ashkelon in Israel). The shallots themselves apparently came from farther east.
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Other names and varieties
Scallions have various common names throughout the world.
- United States and Canada: scallion or green onion. The term green onion can also be used for immature specimens of the ordinary onion.
- Australia: shallots (or eschallots or spring onions depending on the region). This use of the word shallot differs from other countries in which it only refers to the dry, bulbous "French" shallot.
- Cagayan, Philippines: lasuna especially to dark, green scallions. Used widely in sauces and as garnishes.
- Cebu, Philippines: sibuyas dahon derived from the two local words sibuyas meaning onion and dahon meaning leaf.
- Great Britain and some Commonwealth countries: The most popular name is spring onions.
- Wales: They may also be referred to as gibbons.
- Scotland: They may be referred to as cibies or syboes.
- Serbia: They are known as "mladi luk"
- Ireland: The term scallions is used.
- Italy: They are usually called "cipollotti" or "cipolline novelle".
- India: They are called spring onions and they are available widely.
- Iran: They are referred to as Tarreh and are used in many dishes.
- Korea: pa (hangul: 파).
- Japan: Traditionally, green scallions similar to those available in other countries have been used in the kansai region; Kyoto's kujo negi is a representative variety of this type. In the Kantō region, large white-stalked varieties such as tokyo negi outwardly resemble leeks, although their culinary use is closer to scallions than to leeks.
- Catalonia: There is a variety known as Calçot.
- Malay: They are called daun bawang.
- Turkey: They are called either "taze soğan" or "yeşil soğan", which literally translate to fresh or green onion.
Escallion
The escallion, pronounced scallion with its silent e) is a culinary herb. Grown in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, it is similar in appearance to the scallion, Welsh onion and leek, though said by Jamaicans to be more flavorsome. Like these others, it is a (relatively) mild onion that does not form a large bulb.
Escallion is a common and much prized ingredient in authentic Jamaican cuisine, in combination with thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic, pimento and allspice. Recipes calling for escallion sometimes suggest the use of leek as a substitute, though in salads, scallions would be more appropriate; neither is seen by Jamaicans as truly adequate. Jamaican dried spice mixtures that include escallion are available commercially. Fresh escallion is difficult to find and expensive outside Jamaica itself.
In Trinidad & Tobago this herb is commonly known as 'chive' with the 'ch' pronounced as 's'.
When Buying
When buying scallions, choose fresh, evenly green and a pleasant odor.
Uses
Culinary
Raw scallion is a good source of C and potassium. it also contains A, iron, folic acid, zinc and phosphorus. Scallion juice is used to relieve instestinal ailments.
