Food Alphabet
Onion-turnip
There are vegetables, without which it is difficult to imagine the life of a modern person. Among them, one of the first places is occupied by onions.
Onions have been known for more than 5,000 years. Presumably, its homeland is Asia Minor. For several centuries before our era, onions were grown in Greece, Egypt and India. At the same time, the attitude of the ancient people to the bow was ambiguous. For example, the Egyptians deified the onion, called it an inexhaustible source of vital energy, and saw it as a symbol of the Universe, since the rings and layers of onions are concentric circles into which, according to the hermetic mysteries, Creation is divided.
It is from the time of Ancient Egypt that we have received information that onions give dishes a spicy taste, strengthen the immune system, heal wounds and treat infections.
Unlike the Egyptians, the Greeks considered onions to be the food of the poor. And the reason for this was a sharp, persistent smell. It was humiliating to be told, " He smells like onions!»
In the 11th and 12th centuries, during the Crusades, the bow was very highly valued. The special value of the onion is indicated by the fact that the French exchanged their captured compatriots with the Saracens (Muslims), offering them eight onions per person. And the knights themselves, clad in steel armor, wore an onion on their chests as a talisman to protect them from fatal wounds.
According to a number of scientists, the onion culture was brought to the territory of Russia from the banks of the Danube. The time of the appearance of onions in Russia is not exactly established, but it is known that for a long time this vegetable has been one of the main food products and was considered as a universal remedy for various diseases.
In modern cooking and folk medicine, onions are still a storehouse of useful and flavorful substances. Onions are used not only as a seasoning for salads, vinaigrettes, mushrooms, vegetable and meat dishes, but also as a spice and vitamin supplement to soups, sauces, gravies and minced meat. Most often, onions are used in raw or toasted forms. Fry the onion until golden brown in lard or vegetable oil. And cut into rings or finely chopped raw onions perfectly complement sausage and meat products, cottage cheese, cheeses or bread with lard.
Red onions, especially Crimean onions, have a sweet taste. Such onions can be eaten raw, as well as baked or fried until semi-soft on the grill, having previously cut it into thick rings and sprinkled with vegetable oil.
