All the onions They are undoubtedly one of the most basic and most used ingredients in Spanish cuisine.
It is one of those essential ingredients since they are not missing in our pantry because without them we could not even make a sauce. But the onion is much more than a basic so today we are going to discover all its secrets.
What do you know about the onion?
Its real name is Allium cepa and it is a bulbous vegetable. It was one of the first cultivated plants and although its origin is located in Central Asia, it surely entered Europe thanks to the travels of the Greeks and Romans.
It is a biennial plant that we can find in the market all year round. What's more, there are several kinds of onions such as chives, fresh or spring, white, red, and shallot, among others. Each one has its own characteristics or nuances that make it appropriate for certain preparations.
What are its properties?
Onions have been used in traditional medicine since ancient times. Because it is very common in cold remedies, flu, colds and other respiratory illnesses.
It's a natural antibiotic which, thanks to its content of compounds rich in sulfur, helps us to fight against infectious processes, especially in the digestive system. For this reason it is widely used against diarrhea and gastroenteritis.
Although its anti-inflammatory properties are also known, that is why it plays a very important role in the fight against cancer as it improves inflammatory states.
It also helps or activates the circulatory system because it makes the blood more fluid. And this reduces hypertension, prevents blood clots or thrombi, hemorrhoids, cholesterol, etc.
In addition, it also improves the lymphatic system, thanks to its diuretic properties that helps us in the elimination of liquids and residual substances.
Why is onion so good for your health?
As we have seen in the previous section, the onion helps us to take care of ourselves but, in addition, it is composed of more than 90% by water, the fat contribution is zero and it only has 26 kcal per 100 grams, which makes it a vegetable suitable for cooking without adding many calories.
But we must not only look at the calories since this ingredient stands out for its contribution in allicin and alliin. As well as its mineral content such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and sulfur.
This bulb also gives us vitamins like C, folic acid, vitamin E and B6 that helps us improve our immune system.
We must also highlight the essential oils with many sulfurous components such as atylpropyl disulfide, methylaliine, cycloaline.
And we cannot finish this section without forgetting the flavonoids like kaempferol or quercetin. The latter is very present in red onions and used to prevent hair loss.
How to choose the best specimens?
When buying onions you should choose the firmer bulbs, that do not have green shoots on the stem. The skin must be intact and crisp.
How to preserve onions at home?
At home it is better to keep them in a dry and ventilated place. Avoid being piled up and also direct light. That is why it is ideal ceramic jars with holes o special storage bags. It is also not recommended to keep them in the fridge
Why do our eyes sting with onions?
It has happened to us and will happen to us again millions of times. Every time we peel or chop an onion, inevitably, we start to cry.
This is due to a chemical reaction where enzymes break down the amino acids sulfoxides forming certain amounts of natural sulfur gas. This gas, upon reaching the surface of the eye, reacts with the watery part of the tear, generating minute amounts of sulfuric acid. It is then when the eye reacts and to avoid the stinging and possible damage of this acid, it secretes more tears, thus cleaning the entire surface.
To avoid this there are a thousand and one very nice tricks like sticking out your tongue, closing one eye or whistling while chopping the onion. Although personally the only thing that works for me is to use some special glasses or pool ones. This isolates your eye and tearing does not occur.
Other tricks
If you have stomach problems or your stomach is delicate, you will surely suffer when taking raw onion. Avoid having a bad time by macerating the onion in olive oil overnight. Although another quicker trick is to soak the onion in water and lemon for a few minutes.
And if the onion leaves you bad breath, try chewing parsley leaves after your meal.
Contraindications
The onion brings many benefits but it is also important to know its contraindications. So if you suffer from heartburn, gastritis, flatulence or gastric ulcer you should consult your doctor.
Its consumption is not indicated in those people who have internal bleeding or who follow a treatment of anticoagulants such as Sintrom since it can cause decompensation.
Do you want to cook with onions?
And for you to start enjoying the benefits of onion, we propose 5 simple recipes that you can easily make with Thermomix.
Caramelized onion: A classic with which to give a sweet touch to our preparations. Use it as a garnish with meat, fish or vegetables. Although you can also prepare delicious toasts or canapés since it combines very well with many ingredients.
soup or Onion cream: To settle the body and avoid the cold, nothing like a good soup or Butter. Here you have two options where onion is the star ingredient.
Appetizers with soft onion cream: An original appetizer that you can make not only for your dinners with guests since it is easy and simple and it is delicious with cheese.
Onion, Emmental cheese and ham tartlets: Another recipe where the onion plays an important role. Enjoy individual tartlets full of flavor and soft nuances.
Boiled: A classic of healthy, healthy and vegan recipes. It will come in handy to compensate for excesses while we eat properly.
Photos - Thomas martinsen y web villa en Unsplash /www.pexels.com
Always with onion, the ingredient that looks good on everything !!!