ulli vada recipe | onion vada | ఉల్లి వడ | New preparing method
6This article is about the plants. For other uses, see Onion (disambiguation).
"Onions" redirects here. For the surname, see Onions (surname).
Onion
Mixed onions.jpg
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Genus: Allium
Species: A. cepa
Binomial name
Allium cepa
L.
Synonyms[1]
Species synonymy
Allium angolense Baker
Allium aobanum Araki
Allium ascalonicum auct.
Allium ascalonicum var. condensum Millán
Allium ascalonicum var. fertile Millán
Allium ascalonicum f. rotterianum Voss ex J.Becker
Allium ascalonicum var. sterile Millán
Allium cepa var. aggregatum G.Don
Allium cepa var. anglicum Alef.
Allium cepa var. argenteum Alef.
Allium cepa var. bifolium Alef.
Allium cepa var. crinides Alef.
Allium cepa var. flandricum Alef.
Allium cepa var. globosum Alef.
Allium cepa var. hispanicum Alef.
Allium cepa var. jamesii Alef.
Allium cepa var. lisboanum Alef.
Allium cepa var. luteum Alef.
Allium cepa var. multiplicans L.H.Bailey
Allium cepa var. portanum Alef.
Allium cepa var. praecox Alef.
Allium cepa var. rosum Alef.
Allium cepa var. sanguineum Alef.
Allium cepa var. solaninum Alef.
Allium cepa var. tripolitanum Alef.
Allium cepa var. viviparum (Metzg.) Alef.
Allium cepaeum St.-Lag.
Allium commune Noronha
Allium cumaria Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.
Allium esculentum Salisb.
Allium napus Pall. ex Kunth
Allium nigritanum A.Chev.
Allium pauciflorum Willd. ex Ledeb.
Allium salota Dostál
Ascalonicum sativum P.Renault
Cepa alba P.Renault
Cepa esculenta Gray
Cepa pallens P.Renault
Cepa rubra P.Renault
Cepa vulgaris Garsault
Kepa esculenta Raf.
Porrum cepa (L.) Rchb.
The onion (Allium cepa L.) (Latin 'cepa' = onion), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable and is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium.
This genus also contains several other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion (A. fistulosum), the Egyptian onion (A. ×proliferum), and the Canada onion (A. canadense). The name "wild onion" is applied to a number of Allium species but A. cepa is exclusively known from cultivation and its ancestral wild original form is not known, although escapes from cultivation have become established in some regions.[2] The onion is most frequently a biennial or a perennial plant, but is usually treated as an annual and harvested in its first growing season.
The onion plant has a fan of hollow, bluish-green leaves and the bulb at the base of the plant begins to swell when a certain day-length is reached. In the autumn the foliage dies down and the outer layers of the bulb become dry and brittle. The crop is harvested and dried and the onions are ready for use or storage. The crop is prone to attack by a number of pests and diseases, particularly the onion fly, the onion eelworm and various fungi that cause rotting. Some varieties of A. cepa such as shallots and potato onions produce multiple bulbs.
Onions are cultivated and used around the world. As a food item they are usually served cooked, as a vegetable or part of a prepared savoury dish, but can also be eaten raw or used to make pickles or chutneys. They are pungent when chopped and contain certain chemical substances which irritate the eyes.
Onion rings are a form of snack or side dish commonly found in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and some parts of Asia. They generally consist of a cross-sectional "ring" of onion (the circular structure of which lends itself well to this method of preparation) dipped in batter or bread crumbs and then deep fried; a variant is made with onion paste. Whole onion rings make for better presentation through a variety of sizes, while those made from a paste offer quantity through consistent size. Consumers of whole onion rings run the risk of pulling the onion out of the batter if they fail to cut it all the way through with their teeth; onion rings made of onion paste break apart easily, while oil absorbency diminishes the onion taste. Onion rings are sometimes accompanied by condiments including ketchup, mayonnaise or other sauces.