View source for Scallion

{{short description|Edible vegetable of various species in the genus Allium}}
{{Redirect|Green onion}}
{{distinguish|Scallop|Shallot}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox food
| name = Scallion
| image = CSA-Red-Spring-Onions.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption = A bundle of "red scallions"
| alternate_name = green onions, spring onions
| type = 
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| variations =
| serving_size =
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| commons = Category:Scallions
| other = 
| no_recipes = true
| no_commons = true
}}

'''Scallions''' (also known as '''green onions''' and '''spring onions''') are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''[[Allium]]''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most [[onion]]s. Their close relatives include [[garlic]], [[shallot]]s, [[leek]]s, [[chive]]s,<ref name=Block2010>{{cite book|author= Block, E. |title=Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6AB89RHV9ucC|publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry|year=2010|isbn=978-0-85404-190-9}}</ref> and [[Allium chinense|Chinese onions]].<ref name="AN">{{cite web |url=http://www.allallergy.net/fapaidfind.cfm?cdeoc=684 |title= AllergyNet—Allergy Advisor Find |publisher= Allallergy.net |access-date= 14 April 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100615004222/http://allallergy.net/fapaidfind.cfm?cdeoc=684 |archive-date=15 June 2010 }}</ref> The leaves are eaten both raw and cooked.

Scallions produce hollow, tubular, green leaves that grow directly from the bulb, which does not fully develop. This is different to other ''Allium'' species where [[bulb]]s fully develop, such as commercially available [[onion]]s and [[garlic]]. With scallions, the leaves are what is typically chopped into various dishes and used as garnishes.<ref>
{{cite book |last1=Rombauer |first1=Irma |title=Joy of Cooking |last2=Rombauer-Becker |first2=Marion |last3=Becker |first3=Ethan |date=2006 |publisher=Scribner |isbn=978-0-7432-4626-2 |location=New York City |page=[https://archive.org/details/joyofcooking00romb_0/page/1004 1004] |language=en |chapter=Know Your Ingredients |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/joyofcooking00romb_0/page/1004 |chapter-format=hardcover |chapter-url-access=registration}}</ref>

== Etymology and naming==
The names ''scallion'' and ''[[shallot]]'' derive from the [[Old French]] ''eschalotte'', by way of ''eschaloigne'', from the [[Latin]] ''Ascalōnia caepa'' or "Ascalonian onion", a namesake of the ancient Eastern Mediterranean coastal city of [[Ascalon]].<ref>[https://www.balashon.com/2006/07/scallion_05.html?m=1 "scallion"], at ''Balashon – Hebrew Language Detective'', 5 July 2006. Accessed 28 February 2024.</ref><ref>{{cite book |contribution =shallot |title =New Oxford American Dictionary |edition =Second |publisher =Oxford University Press |year =2005 |title-link =New Oxford American Dictionary}}</ref><ref>[http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/shallot shallot]. CollinsDictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 11th Edition. Retrieved 30 September 2012.</ref>

Other names used in various parts of the world include spring onion, green onion, table onion, salad onion, onion stick, long onion, baby onion, precious onion, wild onion, yard onion, gibbon, syboe (Scots), and shallot.<ref>
{{cite book
 |last1                = Kennedy
 |first1               = Anita
 |date                 = 22 March 2018
 |title                = Low Allergy Food, the Tasty Way
 |publisher = iUniverse
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=qIFVDwAAQBAJ
 |isbn                 = 9781532042829
 |access-date          = 7 December 2024
 |quote                = There seems to be several plants similar to shallots used for cooking, as well as a variety of names for ''Allium fistulosum'', and the following shoud be a comprehensive list of alternative names and suggested alternative plants: Baby onion, Bunching onion, Chinese onion, Chinese scallion, Cibol, Egyptian onion, Escallion, Gibbon, Green onion, Long onion, Onion stick, Oriental onion, Precious onion, Salad onion, Scallion, Shallot, Spring onion, Stone leek, Syboe, Top onion, Topsetting onion, Tree onion, Walking onion, Welsh onion, Yard onion.}} 
</ref>{{better source needed|date=December 2024}}

==Varieties==
[[File:Germinating scallion.jpg|thumb|A germinating scallion, 10 days old]][[File:2010-06-19-supermarkt-by-RalfR-32.jpg|thumb|A close-up view of spring onions (note the larger bulbs)]]Species and cultivars that may be used as scallions include
* ''[[Allium cepa|A. cepa]]''
** 'White Lisbon'
** 'White Lisbon Winter Hardy' – an extra-hardy variety for overwintering
** [[Calçot]]
** [[Onion|''A. cepa'' var. ''cepa'']] – Most of the cultivars grown in the West as scallions belong to this variety.<ref>{{cite book |last=Fritsch |first=R.M. |author2=N. Friesen  |editor=H.D. Rabinowitch and L. Currah |title=Allium Crop Science: Recent Advances |chapter=Chapter 1: Evolution, Domestication, and Taxonomy |year=2002 |publisher=CABI Publishing |location=Wallingford, UK |isbn=0-85199-510-1 |page=20 }}</ref> The scallions from ''A. cepa'' var. ''cepa'' (common onion) are usually from a young plant, harvested before a bulb forms or sometimes soon after slight bulbing has occurred.
** [[Shallot|''A. cepa'' var. ''aggregatum'']] (formerly ''A. ascalonicum'') – commonly called shallots or sometimes [[Shallot#Names|''eschalot'']].
* ''[[Allium chinense|A. chinense]]''
* ''[[Allium fistulosum|A. fistulosum]]'', the [[Welsh onion]] – does not form bulbs even when mature, and is grown in the West almost exclusively as a scallion or [[Allium fistulosum#Ambiguous names|salad onion]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Fritsch |first=R.M. |author2=N. Friesen  |editor=H.D. Rabinowitch and L. Currah |title=Allium Crop Science: Recent Advances |chapter=Chapter 1: Evolution, Domestication, and Taxonomy |year=2002 |publisher=CABI Publishing |location=Wallingford, UK |isbn=0-85199-510-1 |page=18 }}</ref>
* [[Tree onion|''A.'' × ''proliferum'']] – sometimes used as scallions<ref name=sometimes>{{cite book |last=Brewster |first=James L. |title=Onions and Other Vegetable Alliums |edition=1st |year=1994 |publisher=CAB International |location=Wallingford, UK |isbn=0-85198-753-2 |page=15 }}</ref>

== Germination ==
Scallions generally take 7–14 days to germinate depending on the variety.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Learn About Scallions – Burpee|url=https://www.burpee.com/blog/learn-about-scallions.html|access-date=2024-09-22|website=burpee.com}}</ref>

== Uses ==
=== Culinary ===
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2021}}
[[File:Chopped scallions.jpg|thumb|Chopped scallions]]
[[File:Haemul-pajeon 3.jpg|thumb|A Korean [[haemulpajeon]] (seafood and scallion pancake)]]
Scallions may be cooked or used raw, often as a part of [[salad]]s, [[salsa (sauce)|salsa]]s, or as a [[Garnish (cooking)|garnish]]. Scallion oil is sometimes made from the green leaves, after they are chopped, lightly cooked, and emulsified in a [[vegetable oil]].

In [[Catalan cuisine]], ''[[calçot]]'' is a type of onion traditionally eaten in a ''calçotada'' (plural: ''calçotades''). An eponymous gastronomic event is traditionally held between the end of winter and early spring, where ''calçots'' are grilled, dipped in ''[[salvitxada]]'' or [[romesco sauce]], and consumed in massive quantities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.altcamp.info/esp/calcotada.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310182344/http://www.altcamp.info/esp/calcotada.htm|url-status=dead|title=Els "Calçots"|archivedate=10 March 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/grilled-green-onions-with-romesco.html Grilled Green Onions with Romesco], last retrieved 2012–09–01.</ref>

[[File:鶴亀堂 博多ネギバカチャーシュー.jpg|thumb|Japanese [[ramen]] topped with sliced ''negi'']]
[[File:Champ with pork and gravy (cropped).jpg|thumb|Irish [[Champ (food)|champ]], served with [[gravy]]]]
In [[Irish cuisine|Ireland]], scallions are chopped and added to mashed potatoes, known as [[Champ (food)|champ]] or as an added ingredient to [[Colcannon]].

In [[Mexican cuisine|Mexico]] and the [[Cuisine of the Southwestern United States|Southwest United States]], ''cebollitas'' ({{translation|little onions}}) are scallions that are sprinkled with salt, grilled whole, and eaten with lime juice, cheese and rice. They are typically served as a traditional accompaniment to ''[[asado]]'' dishes.<ref>''[http://www.tomaytotomaaahto.com/2011/08/cebollitas.html Cebollitas]'', last retrieved 2012–09–01.</ref><ref>''[https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/18/garden/at-the-nation-s-table-chicago.html At the Nation's Table: Chicago]''at New York Times Archives, last retrieved 2012–09–01.</ref>
At the [[Passover]] meal ([[Seder]]), [[Afghan Jews]] and [[Persian Jews]] strike one another with scallions before singing "[[Dayenu]]", thus re-enacting the whipping endured by the Hebrews enslaved by the ancient Egyptians.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/dining/24passover.html?_r=0 "An Iranian Seder in Beverly Hills"]. ''The New York Times''.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jewishfed.org/news/blog/celebrating-passover-through-varied-customs-around-globe|title=Celebrating Passover through varied Customs around the Globe|website=Jewish Community Federation|date=11 March 2021 }}</ref>

In [[Asian cuisine]], diced scallions are often used in [[soup]], [[Noodle soup|noodle]], and [[seafood]] dishes, [[sandwich]]es, [[Curry|curries]], and as part of a [[Stir frying|stir fry]]. The bottom half-centimetre of the root is commonly removed before use.

In [[Chinese cuisine|China]], scallion is commonly used together with ginger and garlic to cook a wide variety of vegetables and meat. This combination is often called the "holy trinity" of Chinese cooking,<ref>{{cite web |date=30 May 2019 |title=Lecture Recap: Cooking Asian Produce with Dan Wu |url=https://www.michlers.com/blogs/news/lecture-recap-cooking-with-asian-produce-with-dan-wu |access-date=7 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=28 October 2020 |title=YEN CAN COOK ~ SPRING ONION GINGER OIL 万用葱油 |url=https://www.choiyen.com/yen-can-cook-spring-onion-ginger-oil/ |access-date=7 December 2022}}</ref> much like the [[mirepoix]] (celery, onions, and carrots) in French cuisine or the [[Holy trinity (cooking)|holy trinity]] in Cajun cuisine. The white part of scallion is usually fried with other ingredients while the green part is usually chopped to decorate finished food.

In [[Indian cuisine|India]], it is sometimes eaten raw as an appetizer. In north India, coriander, mint and onion chutney are made using uncooked scallions. It is also used as a vegetable with Chapatis and Rotis. In [[South Indian cuisine|south India]], spring onions stir fried with coconut and shallots (known as ''Vengaya Thazhai Poriyal'' in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and ''Ulli Thandu Upperi'' in [[Malayalam]]) are served as a side dish with rice.

In [[Japanese cuisine|Japan]], [[tree onion]]s (''wakegi'') are used mostly as topping of Japanese cuisine such as [[tofu]]. In [[Nepalese cuisine|Nepal]], scallion is used in different meat dish fillings like [[momo (food)|momo]] and choyla (meat intertwined with scallion and spices).

In the southern [[Filipino cuisine|Philippines]], it is ground in a [[mortar and pestle|mortar]] along with ginger and [[chili pepper]] to make a native condiment called wet ''palapa'', which can be used to spice dishes or as a topping for fried or sun-dried food. It can also be used to make the dry version of ''palapa'', when it is stir fried with fresh coconut shavings and wet palapa.

In [[Vietnamese cuisine|Vietnam]], Welsh onion is important to prepare ''dưa hành'' (fermented onions) which is served for [[Tết]], the Vietnamese New Year. A kind of sauce, ''mỡ hành'' (Welsh onion fried in oil), is used in dishes such as ''[[cơm tấm]]'', ''bánh ít'' and ''cà tím nướng''. Welsh onion is the main ingredient in the dish ''cháo hành'', which is a rice porridge used to treat the [[common cold]].

{{nutritionalvalue
| name = Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw ([[Daily Value]])
| water = 89.8 g
| kJ = 133.88
| protein = 1.83 g
| fat = 0.19 g
| carbs = 7.34 g
| fiber = 2.6 g
| sugars = 2.33 g
| calcium_mg = 72
| iron_mg = 1.48
| magnesium_mg = 20
| phosphorus_mg = 37
| potassium_mg = 276
| sodium_mg = 16
| zinc_mg = 0.39
| selenium_ug = 0.6
| vitC_mg = 18.8
| thiamin_mg = 0.055
| riboflavin_mg = 0.08
| niacin_mg = 0.525
| pantothenic_mg = 0.075
| vitB6_mg = 0.061
| folate_ug = 64
| choline_mg = 5.7
| vitA_ug = 50
| betacarotene_ug = 598
| vitE_mg = 0.55
| source_usda = 1
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170005/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
 values are for edible portion
| vitK_ug = 207
}}

== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ''[[Allium tricoccum]]''
* [[Chives]]
* [[Leek]]
* [[Onion]]
* [[Shallot]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{commons category|Scallions}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Allium}}

[[Category:Asian vegetables]]
[[Category:Northern Irish cuisine]]
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Onions]]