Shallot | |
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Shallots | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Amaryllidaceae |
Subfamily: | Allioideae |
Genus: | Allium |
Species: |
A. c. var. aggregatum
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Binomial name | |
Allium cepa var. aggregatum G. Don (1827) |
The shallot (Allium cepa var. aggregatum, or A. cepa Aggregatum group) is the botanical varietyofAllium cepa to which the multiplier onion also belongs.[1] It was formerly classified as the species A. ascalonicum, a name now considered a synonym of the correct name.[2] In Australia, the term "shallot" can also refer to scallions, while the term eschalot is used to refer to the shallot described in this article. The term "shallot" is further used for the French gray shallotorgriselle, Allium oschaninii, a species growing wild from CentraltoSouthwest Asia, which has been considered to be the "true shallot" by many[citation needed], and to the Persian shallot, A. stipitatum, from the Zagros mountains.
Shallots probably originated in Central or Southeast Asia, traveling from there to India and the eastern Mediterranean. The name "shallot" comes from Ashkelon, an ancient Philistine city,[3] where people in classical Greek times believed shallots originated.[citation needed]
Like garlic, shallots are formed in clusters of offsets with a head composed of multiple cloves. Their skin color can vary from golden brown to gray to rose red, and their off-white flesh is usually tinged with green or magenta. Shallots are popular with gourmets.
As a variety of onion, shallots taste somewhat like a common onion, but have a milder flavor. They can be stored for at least six months.[4]
Shallots are extensively cultivated for use in fresh cooking, in addition to being pickled. Finely sliced, deep-fried shallots are used as a condimentinAsian cuisine (often eaten with porridge).
Shallots are propagated by offsets. In some regions, these are recommended to be planted in autumn in "long season areas" (e.g. September or October in the Northern Hemisphere);[5] in other regions, the suggested planting time for the principal crop is early spring (e.g. February or the beginning of March in the Northern Hemisphere).[6] In planting, the tops of the bulbs should be kept a little above ground, and it is a commendable plan to draw away the soil surrounding the bulbs when their roots have taken hold. They should not be planted on ground recently manured. They come to maturity in summer (about July or August in the Northern Hemisphere), although they can now be found year-round in supermarkets.
Similar to onions, raw shallots release chemicals that irritate the eye when sliced, resulting in tears. See onion for a discussion of this phenomenon.
Shallots appear to contain more flavonoids and phenols than other members of the onion family.[7]
The term "French shallot" has also been used for Allium oschaninii. [citation needed]
There is a very specific region of shallot gardening in southeastern Ghana.
Indian names are kandaorgandana (Hindi, Marathi, Marwari and Punjabi), gundhun (Bengali), pallari vengayam (Tamil) and cheriya ulliorchuvanna ulli (Malayalam). The distinction between onion and shallot is weak in Indian cuisine; larger varieties of shallot are often confused with small red onions and used interchangeably. Indeed, most parts of India use the regional name for onion interchangeably with shallot (Maharashtra, for instance, where both are called kanda). The southern regions of India distinguish shallots from onions in recipes more often, especially the much loved tiny varieties (about the width of a finger); these are widely used in salads, curries and different types of sambhar. Shallots picked in red vinegar are common in many Indian restaurants, served along with the sauces and papad on the condiments tray. Indians also use it as a home remedy for sore throats, mixed with jaggery or sugar.
Shallots are called bawang merah kecil (small red onions) in Malay, brambang in Java, and hom (หอม, fragrant) in Thai. In Cambodian (Khmer), it is called katem kror hom, where katemorktem is a species of onion, and kror homorhom meaning "red", describes its color. In Southeast Asian cuisines, such as Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines, both shallots and garlic (bawang putih, white onions) are very often used as elementary spices. Raw shallot can also accompany cucumbers when pickled in mild vinegar solution.It is also often chopped finely, then fried until golden brown, resulting in tiny crispy shallot chips called bawang goreng (fried onions) in Indonesian language, which can be bought ready-made from groceries and supermarkets. It enhances the flavor of many Southeast Asian dishes, such as fried rice variants. Crispy shallot chips are also used in southern Chinese cuisine. In Indonesia, sometimes it is made into pickle which is usually added in several traditional foods. Its sourness is thought to increase one's appetite.
In Nepal, it is called chyapi (छ्यापी) and is used in as one of the ingredients for making momo.
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Onion cultivars |
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Onion species |
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Onion food |
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Garlic cultivars |
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Garlic species |
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Garlic food |
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Garlic and onion constituents |
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