Photo cred: http://www.nsmbl.com/

Did you know onions, garlic, scallions, leeks, and chives are all in the same delicious family? They all belong to the genus Allium, which is Latin for garlic. That explains their relatively similar uses, sharp scents, and healthy properties. Let’s take a closer look at some of these delicious ingredients!

Onions

A staple in many cuisines around the world, onions come in many different colors, shapes, and sizes, each with their own uses. Red onions are often used raw in salads because of their color; however sweeter yellow and white onions are also a great choice. You can remove some of their bite by rinsing them in cold water in a colander then patting them dry with a paper towel or by marinating them in a bit of your favorite vinegar. When onions of all varieties are cooked, they lose some of their pungency, which is replaced by their natural sweetness. If you are an onion-cryer, make sure to use a sharp knife and try placing the onion in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before cutting. For onion cutting tips and videos, check out our blog!

Garlic

These stinky little beauties add a lot of flavor for their size, which you can control by how you prepare them, since slicing will release less flavor than chopping. Like onions, garlic cloves have internal separations that do some of the prep work for you. Just press down on the clove with the flat side of your knife to crush it a bit, then chop it to the desired size. When cooking garlic, be careful not to take it past lightly browned, as garlic develops a bitter flavor as it approaches burning.

Scallions

This allium does double duty: the white part is dense and pungent like an onion, while the greens are hollow, mild in flavor, and make for a great raw garnish. You’ll often see your HelloFresh recipes take advantage of this trait with instructions to keep the greens and whites separate for different uses!

So next time you want to get your Allium fix, why not try this Garlicky Roast Pork recipe from our recipe archive. Just be sure your partner eats it too! 🙂