Breakdown of the different types of onions and how to use them

Can you name what these onions are correctly and know the best way to cook them? Taste has peeled back the answers to clear the confusion over onion types.

Do you know your onions? Like really understand which onion should be used in which dish?

Most people are pretty well versed in how to use a common brown onion. What’s a bolognese without one?

But when a recipe calls for shallots or eschalots – well, that’s when things start to get a little murky.

Onions varieties can confuse us all. They are often misnamed, and can drive us into panic if a recipe calls for one and we’re not certain which onion to use.

Taste is helping you understand which is which and how to use them correctly.

What are green onions?

Green onions are sold in bunches and have long, green leaves and no bulb. The flavour is mild, and they can be eaten raw or lightly cooked.

There is confusion over the different types of onions.

What are spring onions?

Spring onions and green onions are both immature onions, but they are often called the same thing.

Spring onions have a white, round bulb with long stems, and are also sold in bunches.

Try spring onions thinly sliced in salads or added to stews, casseroles and soups.

Store both varieties in plastic bags in the crisper section of the refrigerator for up to one week.

Why all the confusion?

Here’s where it gets tricky. What Australians call shallots, generally refers to green onions, but can also refer to spring onions. Confused? To help clear this up, think of the onion as a maturation process:

● In the beginning, we have immature onions without a bulb – these are green onions (or green shallots).

● Midway through their growth, the onions start to bulb – these are spring onions scallions or salad onions. They impart a milder flavour than mature onions.

● Once the onions are harvested, they are regular onions.

Eschalots are a type of onion related to the garlic family.

What are eschalots?

Eschalots (called shallots in some countries, to add to the confusion) are smaller than regular onions, and vary in colour from golden brown to deep red.

They are harder to peel but are milder and taste great in raw salads.

Top recipes using green and spring onions:

Chicken and spring onion pie

Spring onion omelette

Chicken and spring onion stir-fry

Spring onion crepes with bacon and mushroom ragu

For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.

Originally published as Breakdown of the different types of onions and how to use them