Scallion

:"Green onions" redirects here. For other uses, see Green onion."

A scallion, also commonly known as spring onion, green onion or salad 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 may be steamed or set in salads in western cookery and cooked in many Asian recipes. Diced scallions are often used in soup, noodle and seafood dishes, and in sauces in eastern dishes, after removing the bottom quarter-inch or so of the root end.

The species most commonly associated with the name is the Welsh onion, "Allium fistulosum". "Scallion" is sometimes used for "Allium ascalonicum", better known as 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. [" [http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=dE7a8SJ9Q7AC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9 Allium Crop Science: recent advances] " at Google Books, last retrieved 2007-03-31]

Other names and varieties

Scallions have various common names throughout the world.
* Australia: The common name is "shallot", a term introduced by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
*Austria: While the German "Frühlingszwiebel", that is, "spring onion", can sometimes be heard, the more common term is "Jungzwiebel", that is "young onion".
* Brazil: "cebolinha-verde", meaning "small green onion" and is usually sold in combination with parsley as "cheiro verde", literally meaning "green smell". "Cebolinha" is also the name of a popular comic strip character, named so because of his scallion-like hair. In English, he is known as Jimmy Five.
* Bulgaria: "пресен лук" meaning "fresh onion". Extensively used in various popular Bulgarian salads, usually in combination with lettuce and tomatoes.
* Canada: Known as "green onion" or "chives".
* Canada, Quebec: Known as "échalote".
* China: They are usually called "cong" (葱).
* Colombia: They are usually called "cebolla de rama" o "cebolla larga".
* Cuba: They are usually called "cebollino", which roughly translates to "small onion".
* Czech Republic: "Jarní cibulka", which literally means "spring onion".
* Denmark: "Forårsløg", which literally translates to "spring onion".
* Egypt: "baṣal axḍar", meaning green onion. A traditional vegetable eaten in the spring season and associated with the sham en-nasim festival.
* England and some Commonwealth countries: The most common name is "spring onion".
* France: Known as "ciboule".
* Germany: "Frühlingszwiebeln", which literally means "spring onion".
* Greece: "κρεμμυδάκια" ("kremmudakia"), which literally means "small onion".
* Hong Kong: Commonly known as "spring onion".
* Hungary: They are called "zöldhagyma", which translates to "green onion", but it's more common name "újhagyma" which translates to "new onion".
* Iceland: "vorlaukur", which literally means "spring onion".
* Ireland: The term "scallions" is commonly used.
* Italy: They are usually called "cipollotti" or "cipolline novelle".
* India: They are called "spring onion".
* Indonesia: They are referred to as "daun bawang" which literally means "onion leaf", a name derived from their green and leafy appearance.
* Iran: They are referred to as "piaz-cheh" and are usually eaten raw.
* Japan: nihongo|"negi"|ねぎ|. 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.
* Korea: "pa" (hangul: 파).
* Macedonia, Republic of: They are called "млад кромид" meaning "young onion".
* Malay: They are called "daun bawang".
* Netherlands, The: "bosuitjes", which literally translates to "bundle onions", or "lenteuitjes", which translates to "spring onions".
* New Zealand: They are called "spring onions".
* Norway: They are called "vårløk", which translates to "spring onion".
* Peru: They are called "cebollita china" which literally means "Chinese onion".
* Philippines, Cagayan: Known as "lasuna", especially the dark, green scallions. Used widely in sauces and garnishes.
* Philippines, Cebu: "sibuyas dahunan" derived from the two local words "sibuyas" meaning "onion" and "dahunan" meaning "leafy" or "with a leaf".
* Poland: Known as "dymka", which can't be directly translated but could be interpreted by native speakers as "small smoke" (with feminine grammatical gender).
* Romania: They are called "ceapă verde", which translates to "green onion" or "immature onion".
* Russia: They are known as "зелёный лук" which literally translates to "green onion".
* Scotland: They may be referred to as "cibies" or "syboes".
* Serbia: They are known as "mladi luk" meaning "young onion".
* Spain, Catalonia: There is a variety known as "calçot", (though this can be used to mean the immature sprout of an ordinary onion after over-wintering). They are eaten roasted and accompanied by a savoury dip.
* Sweden: They are known as "salladslök", which translates to "salad onion". Some people use "vårlök" which is a literal translation of spring onion, but actually refers to Gagea lutea.
*Thailand: They are called "ต้นหอม", roughly translated as "stemmed onion" and can be eaten raw as a condiment to many foods, chopped and used as garnish, or boiled with other root vegetables to provide stock.
* Turkey: They are called either "taze soğan" or "yeşil soğan", which literally means "fresh onion" or "green onion".
* Venezuela: They are called "cebollín", which literally means "small onion".
* Vietnam: They are called "hành lá", which literally means leafy onion.
* United States: "scallion" or "green onion". The term "green onion" can also be used in reference to immature specimens of the ordinary onion ("Allium cepa").
* Wales: They are called "gibbons" (pronounced jib-uns).

Escallion

The escallion ("Allium ascalonicum L." [ [http://www.frp.uk.com/dissemination_documents/R6290_-_FTR.pdf On-farm research for the development and promotion of improved agroforestry systems for steeplands in the Caribbean] - page 12 shows classification of 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 flavoursome. Like these others, it is a (relatively) mild onion that does not form a large bulb.

The Jamaican name is probably a variant of scallion, although like "scallion", this term is itself used loosely at different times to denote the spring onion, the leek, the shallot and the green stalk of the immature garden onion ("Allium cepa"). The spelling "escalion" is recorded in the eighteenth century; "scallion" is older, dating from at least the fourteenth century. To add to the confusion, the spring onion is known in some countries as the "eschallot". However, the "OED"'s reference to "escalions" in Phillip H. Gosse's "Birds of Jamaica" (1847) implies that Gosse knew the shallot and the escalion to be different herbs, and this article accepts that authority. [Oxford English Dictionary] The term "escallion" is now not current in English outside its Jamaican usage. Escallion is a common and much prized ingredient in authentic Jamaican cuisine, in combination with thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic and allspice (called pimento). 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.

External links

* [http://www.gene.affrc.go.jp/htbin/plant/image/get_logo_e?plno=31401003 Varieties of Japanese negi]

References