By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
markets: ”
There are many kinds of onions. So when the price of the red onions shoots up to the roof just like what’s happening nowadays, just use other kinds that are affordable or even free from your garden. Last December when I went to the market, red onions were selling at P350 per kilo so I just bought one-fourth kilo and then switched to shallots and green onions or just garlic and ginger to flavor our food. We, people of the universe, especially Igorots, have been doing well in the past with simple boiling of vegetables and a pinch of salt so we should not let big business control our taste buds and rattle our emotions.
Onions are part of God’s creation and they are food and medicine! They belong to the allium family, a genus of pungent plants that includes garlic, leeks, chives and hundreds of other species.
Onions are root vegetables. In traditional oriental medicine, root vegetables support kidney function. And because of its pungent taste, onions are also good for the heart. They are also used to treat some ailments like colds and flu. Chop green onions and add to your soup when you feel a cold coming. According to some researches, they may also reduce depression and stress and help improve sleep. They contain sulfur-containing compounds and antioxidants that are found to have the potential to reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure and support blood sugar control. Those sulfur-containing compounds are released when you cut the onions. These chemicals are volatile and irritate your eyes thus making you cry. Those tears are automatically produced to wash away this irritant so cry away. But do you know that this irritant from the onions are actually their defense mechanism against animals and microbes? So you see, worms don’t like onions.
However, if crying worries you, you can prevent this irritant from reaching your eyes by chilling the onion first before chopping, or chop under water, or put salt or candle light just beside where you are chopping. Start cutting from the top because the irritants are concentrated at the root end. On the other hand, if you really feel like crying because of a problem but don’t like people to see you cry, then chop onions and cry freely.
Onions are now popularly used in cooking to add flavor and aroma to almost any dish. Or it can be eaten by itself like fried onion rings or fried onions. There are many kinds of onions but we will discuss a few common ones we see in our Philippine markets:
1. Green onions or scallions (not spring onions) – these are so easy to grow and they grow quickly and multiply quickly, too. I guess every house has this plant. So you see, don’t be stressed when the prices of the other kinds of onions go up. Just keep planting. This can be added to any dish or the root can be roasted and eaten as is.
2. Shallots – if with skin, they look like small red onions and inside the skin has 2 cloves. Added to any dish or can be fried like the Goreng Bawang, an Indonesian recipe for fried shallots.
3. Red onions – perhaps the most popular and has the sharpest taste. Favorite additive to salads. They are a popular choice for pickling and grilling.
4. White onions – has mildest taste. Also used in salads and sandwiches.
But whatever dish you want to prepare that requires onion, you can just use any onion. Make sure to buy local produce, though, as we are now importing onion bulbs. You can just pick the green onions from your garden. You are sure it’s organic. But if you did not plant and onions become so expensive, it’s okay not to buy. Just use garlic, ginger, celery or radish as natural flavoring. If you are a creative cook, your dish will come out just as yummy. And remember, you will not get sick if you did not eat red onions. God is good- He gave us a variety of onions and root vegetables and natural flavorings.
Some people, though, don’t like to eat onions because of the onion breath that lingers after. You can reduce this by cooking the onions, brushing your teeth and mouth washing immediately after eating, or chewing parsley or peppermint or peppermint gum, or gargling with saltwater or water with lemon juice.
Thank God for onions! Let’s plant them.***
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Numbers 11:5 “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.”
