Why Onions are Classified as Vegetables and Not Fruits
Some people may have mistaken the onion for a fruit, since it can be eaten raw and can have a sweet tasting flavor to it that makes it easily edible without it being cooked. Not all onions have a sharp flavor, making it edible enough to be eaten plain or with a bit of sauce or a sprinkle of spices/herbs. Like mentioned earlier, sweet onions have been known to be eaten like fruits, thus confusing the masses who are fond of this vegetable. A fruit has a distinct quality to it - where all of them come with seeds. Be it a single deep set seed within its core, or content that is studded with these, a fruit always has seeds to make it a fruit. Vegetables on the other hand do not come with seeds within their mass, making them separate food sources from fruits. Also, almost all fruits have a sweet taste to it with very few bordering on bitter, tangy flavors. Nonetheless, vegetables are not entirely sweet and can be quite bland if not added with other ingredients. Now that the question of is onion a fruit or vegetable has been covered, we will take a brief look into the origin of onions and which types of onions are the most common.
Origin of Onions
Asia is said to be the land of the onion, originating in parts of this continent where they were used as a rich relish known for its pungent flavor. It didn't easily spoil, making people see it as a very withstanding vegetable especially during the cold winters. It is said that the Egyptians would worship the onion, taking its shape and circled insides as the circles of eternity. It was even made out of gold when the artists in Egypt would depict vegetables from precious metals. Being very high in nutritional value, the onion is recognized today as an essential ingredient in cooking. (See onion nutrition facts.) It can be eaten raw in some cases or used in cooking, mimicking an important spice more than a prime food in a dish.
Types of Onions
It is interesting to know how many varieties of onions there are, especially when we're used to only a few common ones in the market place. With such an expansive list of onion types, it is no wonder how onions have been known for being an important part of dishes, adding its own unique take on flavors that are part of a meal's ensemble. Some of the different kinds include shallots, brown onions, leeks, pickling onions, Spanish onions, white onions, scallions, red onions, yellow onions and green onions being some of the most widely used types of this ground vegetable.
Some people may have mistaken the onion for a fruit, since it can be eaten raw and can have a sweet tasting flavor to it that makes it easily edible without it being cooked. Not all onions have a sharp flavor, making it edible enough to be eaten plain or with a bit of sauce or a sprinkle of spices/herbs. Like mentioned earlier, sweet onions have been known to be eaten like fruits, thus confusing the masses who are fond of this vegetable. A fruit has a distinct quality to it - where all of them come with seeds. Be it a single deep set seed within its core, or content that is studded with these, a fruit always has seeds to make it a fruit. Vegetables on the other hand do not come with seeds within their mass, making them separate food sources from fruits. Also, almost all fruits have a sweet taste to it with very few bordering on bitter, tangy flavors. Nonetheless, vegetables are not entirely sweet and can be quite bland if not added with other ingredients. Now that the question of is onion a fruit or vegetable has been covered, we will take a brief look into the origin of onions and which types of onions are the most common.
Origin of Onions
Asia is said to be the land of the onion, originating in parts of this continent where they were used as a rich relish known for its pungent flavor. It didn't easily spoil, making people see it as a very withstanding vegetable especially during the cold winters. It is said that the Egyptians would worship the onion, taking its shape and circled insides as the circles of eternity. It was even made out of gold when the artists in Egypt would depict vegetables from precious metals. Being very high in nutritional value, the onion is recognized today as an essential ingredient in cooking. (See onion nutrition facts.) It can be eaten raw in some cases or used in cooking, mimicking an important spice more than a prime food in a dish.
Types of Onions
It is interesting to know how many varieties of onions there are, especially when we're used to only a few common ones in the market place. With such an expansive list of onion types, it is no wonder how onions have been known for being an important part of dishes, adding its own unique take on flavors that are part of a meal's ensemble. Some of the different kinds include shallots, brown onions, leeks, pickling onions, Spanish onions, white onions, scallions, red onions, yellow onions and green onions being some of the most widely used types of this ground vegetable.
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