Shallot vs Spring Onion
Onions are eaten with fervor in all parts of the world because of their ability to provide flavor to the recipes in which they are used, also as an essential ingredient in salads of different types. In some cultures, a meal is difficult to complete without adding onions in one form or the other, and there are countless people in India who consume onion in its raw form along with Indian bread to complete their meal. There are so many names and varieties of onions in different parts of the world that it is easy for people to get confused between names such as shallots, spring onions, green onions, and so on. In this article, we shall differentiate between shallots and spring onions depending upon their physical features, taste, and usage.
Shallots
In Asian cultures, it is onion that is widely used but not many people know that shallots are also a variety of onions that belong to the family Allium Cepa. Shallots have their own distinct flavor and texture that is somewhat different from onions. You can differentiate it from onions because of its tapered or pointed base. It also has a brownish or coppery skin in comparison to onions that have more whitish and pinkish skins. Shallots have a taste that is sweeter than that of onions and are also closer to garlic. Shallots grow as cluster of bulbs, onions grow as individual bulb per plant. Shallots are elongated in shape while onions are more circular in shape.
Spring onions
These are actually mature green onions. Green onions are more used in Chinese dishes. They are long and slender with white base and green tops. When they are not mature, the bulb is not formed perfectly and it is called green onion. On the other hand, when the bulb is fully developed, we refer to it as a spring onion. Spring onions are also known as salad onions. The bulb is rounder and sweeter than that of green onions. In comparison to green onions where green tops are always used, the green tops of spring onions are rarely used because they are very intense in flavor.
It is not surprising to see people confusing between many varieties of spring onions as they are differently named in different cultures such as scallions, green onions, spring onions, salad onions, onion sticks, etc.
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What is the difference between Shallot and Spring Onion? • Shallots are bulbs that are coppery or brownish in color, whereas spring onions are long and slender with white bases and green tops • Shallots are eaten both raw as well as in cooking. On the other hand, spring onions are primarily used as salads • Spring onions are milder and sweeter than shallots • While in case of shallots, skin has to be peeled before consumption, spring onions, can be washed and cut to be eaten without peeling • Spring onions are prominently used in soups and Chinese noodles.
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