Onions are part of the allium family along with garlic, leeks, and shallots. They have a potent, sulfury flavor that makes them unpleasant when eaten like an apple. But it’s also what keeps away wascally wabbits, and other animals that might eat them. But lucky us, we know how to tame the onion. More on that in a bit.
When you think about the flavor of an onion, there’s a lot of layers to work through. 😉
How so? First off, onions are packing. 🔫 Glutamates that is. What are glutamates? They’re amino acids that give food its savory, umami quality. More commonly, it’s known as the “G” in MSG.
But the real magic of onions is how they can be transformed. They’re a multi-dimensional ingredient. How you treat them changes their flavor:
Macerate them in vinegar and they become acidic yet sweet.
Lightly cook them in a pan without browning them for about 10 minutes and they’re subtle and savory.
Sweat them like this even longer and their flavor gets more complex and concentrated.
Slowly brown them, and they become sweet and rich.
However, the best part of onions is how they enhance the food around them. They give a savory quality to a sauce or soup. They give a crunch to your burger. They impart flavor to a risotto without even being noticed. They’re an indispensable ingredient in the kitchen.
Obviously, onions are potent. But have you ever noticed that onions don’t have an aroma? That is until you cut them. Why? Their intense flavor (and smell) comes from a reaction between an enzyme called alliinase and certain amino acids. And because they’re stored in separate parts of the onion, those two only come in contact when the cell walls are ruptured.
So that means you can change the intensity of the flavor based on how you cut up the onion. The more cell walls you rupture, the stronger the flavor. Dicing an onion ruptures a lot of cell walls. But a food processor gives you even more potent onion flavor.
What about slices of onion? You can amp up or tone down their potency based on how you slice them. Cutting the onion crosswise ruptures more cell walls than cutting lengthwise (aka through the root end). Why? An onion’s cell wall runs from root to tip. And when you cut lengthwise, you cut along the cell walls vs cutting against them.
What does this mean for our cooking? Change how you cut an onion based on the flavor you want. A finely diced, raw onion will overpower a salad. But sliced onions won’t. Especially if you treat them. (I swear I’ll get to taming onions in a moment.)
What about building an aromatic base for a dish? If you want the onion flavor to disperse throughout, dice it up before adding it to the pan. Or maybe you don’t have the full onion a recipe asks. Throw the onion half you do have in the food processor. That will really rupture some cell walls and amp up the potency of the smaller amount of onion. Don’t want the onion to overpower a dish? Onion soup is made using pounds of sliced onions so the flavor is more subtle. Otherwise the bad breath we’d get from using that many diced onions would really enforce social distancing. 😉
Taming the Onion
Onions are sharpest when they are raw. But luckily there are multiple techniques to transform or avoid their potent, sulfuric flavor:
Apply Heat: Sulfur compounds react and produce new flavors when the onion comes into contact with heat. This creates a compound called MMP. And that’s what gives cooked onions their “meaty” flavor.
Add a Touch of Water: The flavor compound MPP is water-soluble. That means adding a little water to sautéed onions can enhance their savoriness.
Soak in Vinegar: It only takes about 15 minutes. Soaking raw onions in acid rinses away the harsh flavors and adds pleasant tartness.
Soak in Water: Even water washes away those pesky sulfuric flavors. A quick 15-minute soak does the trick.
Use a Sharp Knife: A sharp knife will rupture fewer cell walls when you cut the onion. If your knife is blunt, you’ll end up mashing more than slicing.
Don’t Let Them Sit: The more time that passes after cutting a raw onion, the more potent the flavor. Why? The more time alliinase has to react with all those amino acids.
You can say “oniony” in casual speech and people will know exactly what you mean. Other words that could describe aspects of the flavor are sweet, crisp and pungent. Onion is astringent or bitter. They can also be sweet and savory.
At the root of onion flavor are enzymes called onion alliinase and LF synthase, which are released the moment the vegetable's cells are damaged and jump-start a pivotal chemical reaction. The enzymes act on a sulfur-containing molecule called isoalliin, converting it to harsh-tasting molecules called thiosulfinates.
These onions are colorful and spicy-to-mild flavor. Because of their bright color and crispy texture, they're great for salads, salsas, and other fresh recipes.
This information is provided to the Internet Community. odor: sulfurous, savory burnt rubber, roasted chicken and pork meaty with nuances of roasted coffee, cultured cheeses and roasted cashew nuts.
A high glutamate content makes the onion itself tasty, and when it is cooked in soup, the umami spreads. A plant of the Liliaceae family native to China.
Onions come in hundreds of varieties. They can be sweet or sour, soft or crisp, tangy or dripping with umami. The intensity of an onion's smell and flavor also depends on its freshness. If you've ever picked an onion fresh out of the soil, you may have been surprised to find it didn't have a smell.
Onion is the origin of numerous phytomolecules, such as polyphenolic substances, phenolic acids, flavonoids (fisetin, quercetin) (1-4), ascorbic acid, and sulphur compounds (5, 6) that are responsible for its color, flavor, and aroma as well as for its possible health advantages, such as its anti-toxic, ...
Onion is astringent or bitter. They can also be sweet and savory. There are so many types its hard to know exactly which flavor you mean. But I think you mean 'red onions' and the all encompassing flavor profile I like to use with the onion family is astringent.
Onions are part of the allium family along with garlic, leeks, and shallots. They have a potent, sulfury flavor that makes them unpleasant when eaten like an apple. But it's also what keeps away wascally wabbits, and other animals that might eat them.
White Onions: A stronger, spicier, more pungent flavour than yellow onions. More oniony, for lack of a better term, than yellow onions. They don't hold up as well when cooked, as they tend to fall apart.
Onions grow in over 20 states and California, Oregon and Washington are the top producing states. Onions contain fiber and vitamin C, which boosts the immune system. Onions are part of the allium family with scallions and leeks. When onions are cut, a compound is released and turns to sulfuric acid in the air.
Umami, which is also known as monosodium glutamate is one of the basic five tastes including sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Umami means “delicious savory taste” in Japanese, and its taste is often described as the meaty, savory deliciousness that deepens flavor.
Umami translates to "pleasant savory taste" and has been described as brothy or meaty. You can taste umami in foods that contain a high level of the amino acid glutamate, like Parmesan cheese, seaweed, miso, and mushrooms.
Bacon is said to deliver six different types of umami flavor. Umami is a Japanese term for a flavor that is both savory and meaty. Those six flavors melt down as the fat renders during cooking, creating a crispy, sweet, smoky and savory stick of bacon.
Bad taste, also known as dysgeusia, is a common symptom of gastrointestinal reflux disease, salivary gland infection (parotitis), sinusitis, poor dental hygiene, and can even be the result of taking certain medicines.
"A chopped onion quickly pickled in water, vinegar for a few minutes, or any kind of acid will dissolve the enzymes and leach them out of the onion," says Patel. If you're against really strong onions, stick with mild varieties like white or Vidalia onions, shallots, or shallots.
Adding a touch of acidity, such as lemon juice or a splash of vinegar, can help cut through the richness of the onions. Additionally, adding sweeter ingredients like carrots, bell peppers, or even a pinch of sugar can help counterbalance the strong taste.
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