Onion
Allium cepa, A. proliferum
vegetable · prebiotic
A bulb made of thickened leaf layers under a yellow, red or white skin; it brings tears when cut, and the red one is a little sweeter. Its fructans feed bifidobacteria, and its quercetin sits mostly in the outer layers.
- Origin
- Central Asia
- Season (United States)
- all year round · grows in your region
- Preparation
- The dry skin is not eaten, but a broth it has simmered in keeps its quercetin, of which it is the richest part. Chop or crush it, then wait ten minutes before cooking: that is how long its sulfur compounds take to form.
- Did you know?
- The Egyptians swore on onions, symbols of eternity in concentric rings.