Onion

The onion originates from Asia where it was highly appreciated by the Egyptians (already around 3000 BC) who even depicted it in their tombs. It was introduced into Europe by the Greeks.

It is a biennial plant: the first year it stores nutrients in the bulb to then use them, the following year, for the development of the floral axis.

There are different varieties of onions: some are harvested in spring and others in the autumn-winter period; they can vary in shape, color (straw yellow, red and white), bulb size and flavour.

To preserve them, it is advisable to keep them in a cool, dark place (not in the refrigerator). Onions, especially if eaten raw, can leave an unpleasant bad breath: to remedy this problem you can keep one or two cloves in your mouth and chew them. During their preparation, to avoid burning and watery eyes, it is advisable to peel and cut them while keeping them immersed in a basin full of water.

Consumed cooked, they largely retain some of their properties; however, they are contraindicated, especially if raw, for those suffering from hyperacidity and gastric ulcers. The whole plant contains a volatile essence rich in sulphurous glucosides, the most important being allylpropyl disulphide, the essence to which most of its properties are due; it also contains enzymes (ferments) in abundance that stimulate digestion and metabolism; trace elements (sulphur, iron, potassium, magnesium, fluorine, calcium, manganese and phosphorus); vitamins (A, B complex, C, E); flavonoids with diuretic action and, finally, glucoquinin, a plant hormone with anti-diabetic action.