Back then, when Eileen Chang, a famous female writer who had immigrated to the United States for many years, passed by a Chinese supermarket, she was attracted by a sign reading "Liu Ji Scallion Pancakes" at the door of the store. Growing up in Shanghai, she has a special affection for the fragrance of scallion pancakes. Zhang Ailing, who was full of surprises, immediately bought the scallion pancake and tasted it, but found that the taste was different from what she remembered. It seemed that there was a little less of the peculiar spiciness of shallots, but more of a mild and soft onion fragrance. It turns out that this scallion pancake is made with another spice plant that is very popular in the West - shrimp scallions instead of shallots.
This onion is not another onion
Ezo green onion, also known as northern onion, chive, and western onion, is a perennial perennial herb of the Liliaceae Allium genus. When it comes to the Allium genus of the Liliaceae family, it is a very large plant population. There are about 900 species of plants in the genus, including the familiar onions, garlic, onions, leeks and the relatively unfamiliar Ezo onions. Among them, the variety of onions is the most abundant, which can be subdivided into green onions, sub-scallions, shallots, and scallions. The most familiar shallots and shallots in our daily life are actually some types of onions.
For garlic, onions, leeks, and even scallions and shallots in alliums, I believe that everyone is unlikely to be mistaken; it is easier to confuse shallots and scallions. At first glance, Ezo green onion seems to be no different from ordinary shallots: the leaves are round and slender, both white and green, and the whole plant is spicy, which can add flavor and color to food, making people feel good. Appetite widened.
But in fact, Ezo onion does not belong to the well-known allium class. Like garlic, onion, and leek, it is a juxtaposition rather than a subordinate relationship to ordinary alliums.
It is actually not difficult to distinguish the difference between scallions and ordinary onions.
First of all, from the morphological characteristics of plants, as long as they are carefully distinguished, many differences can be found between the two. Generally speaking, the shape of Ezo green onions is smaller and more beautiful than ordinary green onions. What is the specific difference? Let's take a closer look.
In terms of plant bulbs, the bulbs of common onion are solitary, mostly cylindrical, and rarely ovate-cylindrical with a swollen base; while the bulbs of Ezo onion are often clustered, almost all of which are ovate-cylindrical. The bulb of common onion is about 1 or 2 cm thick, sometimes up to 4.5 cm; the bulb of Ezo onion is relatively smaller, about 0.5 to 1 cm thick. The bulb skin of common onion is white, occasionally light reddish-brown, membranous to thin leathery, not broken; the bulb skin of Ezo onion is gray-brown or yellowish, papery, striped, and sometimes the top fibrous.
Look at the leaves and scapes of the plant. The leaf shape and scape shape of green onion and Ezo green onion are similar. The difference is mainly in thickness and height. Ordinary allium leaves are thicker, more than 5 mm, and the height of the plant is equal to the length of the scape, about 30-100 cm; the leaves of Ezo onion are only 2-4 mm thick. It is more slender, and its height is slightly shorter than the scape, about 10-60 cm high, so it can better highlight the graceful and graceful appearance of its flowers.
Of course, the easiest difference is the flowers of the two. Although the inflorescences of green onions and onions are similar in shape, they are both nearly spherical umbels, but the inflorescences of onions are numerous and dense, and the flowers are very bright. It is a lustrous purple-red or light red; while the common allium inflorescences have many small flowers, but they are relatively scattered, and the flower color is also relatively ordinary pure white, far less beautiful than the flowers of Ezo onion. The flowering and fruiting period of common onions is earlier, from April to July;
In addition to the differences in morphological characteristics, there is another big way to distinguish scallions from common onions, and that is to distinguish the taste. Ordinary shallots are impressively spicy and pungent; Ezo scallions are milder, less pungent than ordinary shallots, and slightly onion-like.
All over the Northern Hemisphere
Ezo onion likes cold and cool, and is widely distributed in Europe, western Asia, Central Asia, Siberia to northern Japan and North America. Growth, mostly in damp grasslands, river valleys, hillsides or meadows.
Like most other allium plants, Ezo onion is also native to the east of the world. As for where the earliest production areas are, there is a view that it is in Hokkaido and the northeastern region of Honshu in Japan. In ancient Hokkaido, there lived an indigenous Ainu people with low social status. They were regarded as "foreign barbarians" by Japanese history books, and they were called "Ezo people", which means "hair people" and "fan people". or "prisoner". Therefore, the ancient name of Hokkaido is "Ezo", and this wild onion produced in Hokkaido naturally has the name "Ezo onion".
In fact, Ezo green onion is probably not only native to northern Japan. As early as ancient times, there were a large number of wild Ezo green onions distributed in northern Xinjiang. According to literature records, Chinese people have begun to use Ezo green onions around 3000 BC.
According to Marco Polo's travel notes, in northern China at that time there was an allium plant that could produce purple spikes. This suggests that, at least in the Yuan Dynasty, Ezo onion had spread from Xinjiang to the wider region of northern China. Others believe that Marco Polo was the messenger who brought Ezo onion from China to Europe, and it was because of his recommendation that Ezo onion spread widely to Western Europe in the Ming Dynasty, and then followed the ships that conquered the New World. The team lands in America. As a result, Ezo onion eventually spread throughout almost the entire northern hemisphere, becoming the only species of allium species that spans the entire Eurasian continent and North America. Therefore, Ezo green onion has gained the nickname of "Northern green onion".
In addition, there is a theory that at an earlier time, the Romans brought the ezo onion to the whole of Europe through various expeditions, so that it was reproduced everywhere on the European continent. The early Romans are said to have believed in the soothing effects of sunburn or sore throat, and believed that it could also regulate blood pressure and act as a diuretic. However, due to the economic and social conditions at that time, Ezo onion has not been actively cultivated artificially. It was not until 812, when Charlemagne ordered the inclusion of Ezo onion in the "Plant List", that this plant began to receive attention in Europe at that time.
No matter who and how the onion was spread to Europe and even North America, there is an indisputable fact that when other allium plants are popular in eastern Asia, this also originated from the east has swept Europe. . Therefore, Ezo green onion is also called Western onion, has a special English name chives, and is widely loved by Westerners.
Of course, the earliest respect for Ezo green onion was not because of its edible value, but as a lucky herb. Just like the Chinese love to hang calamus and mugwort leaves to ward off evil spirits, Europeans and Americans generally believe that the fragrance of Ezo and green onion can cure depression and ward off evil spirits, so they often hang a bunch of dried shrimps on their ceiling or bedside. Green onions are used to drive away evil spirits and diseases for peace. More than a century ago, those Yagypsies who made a living by fortune-telling even used Ezo green onions as props to fortune-telling for their guests.
Fragrance and flavor
After the 19th century, the edible value of Ezo onion began to be widely valued all over the world, not only because of the strong and unique taste of this delicate and beautiful onion, but also because of the nutrition of Ezo onion. It is quite rich and beneficial to human health.
Shrimp onion contains protein, carbohydrates, various vitamins and minerals, such as carotene and calcium, which are all necessary nutrients for the human body and are of great benefit to human health. They can warm the body and regulate the body and mind. , It has a good effect on headache, cold, fever, intestinal regulation, etc.
The smell of Ezo green onion is very special, with a faint spicy taste similar to onion. This pungent taste is mainly derived from the sulfides contained in its plants. On the one hand, this miraculous compound can excite the olfactory nerve, stimulate blood circulation, increase the secretion of digestive juice, and increase people's appetite; The sulfide in the scallion can effectively remove the fishy smell of meat and increase the taste and flavor of the meaty food. Therefore, the scallion has gradually been widely used by people and has become a commonly used spice in Chinese, Western and Japanese cuisine. Seasoning, widely grown all over the world. Especially in Europe and the United States, shrimp onion is an indispensable and important seasoning in Western food, and it can be called the spring onion in Western food.
The edible part of the scallion is generally the part above the leaf sheath. The most common usage is to chop it up and use it raw and sprinkle it directly into various western dishes such as baked potatoes, salads, and western-style omelettes, just like the shallots in Chinese food. , which can not only play an embellishment role, but also add flavor to the food. As a result, many classic Western dishes, such as French "potato salad" and German "sour cream chive mashed potatoes", are also inseparable from the contribution of shrimp and onion.
Ezo green onion can be used in a very wide range, it can be said to be suitable for both meat and vegetables, and it is quite versatile. Among them, it is the best match with eggs, cream, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products; with beef and mutton, chicken, duck and bacon, ham, sausage and other meat products, as well as shrimp, oysters, crab, squid, salmon, tuna, anchovies and Seafood such as caviar is also very tasty.
Although Ezo green onion is a vegetable on its own, it is also quite effective when eaten in combination with a variety of other vegetables. In addition to the most famous baked potatoes, adding scallions to various vegetables such as beets, broad beans, peas, eggplants, asparagus, onions, corn, celery, mushrooms, artichokes, zucchini, carrots, parsnips, etc. achieve satisfactory results. In addition, Ezo green onion can also be eaten with rice, pasta, apple, lemon, coconut, raspberry, horseradish, mustard, garlic, fennel, etc., which are also unique flavor combinations.
Nowadays, Ezo green onion is not only popular in Western food, but also has many various ways to eat it in the folks all over our country. For example, adding chopped shrimp and green onion to the traditional Yunnan snacks "artichoke cake", "Xizhou cake" and "copper pot potato rice", its delicate aroma is very surprising; various traditional snacks in Yunnan cuisine such as rice noodles , bait blocks, bait silk, dried rice, roll noodles, jelly and braised noodles, etc., you can also add shrimps and green onions at will; in northern China, people prefer to use shrimps and green onions to make dumplings. It is minced and mixed with pork and cabbage stuffing, and the dumplings are soft and moist; in Xinjiang, where the scallions originate, people often use the scallion white and scallion roots of this spice plant to stew the mutton, and then cook the mutton before the mutton is out of the pot. Sprinkle a handful of green onion, the taste is particularly mellow and delicious; in the Sichuan-style grilled fish that is popular in the north and south of the Yangtze River, the bottom of the shrimp and onion is indispensable. The whole onion does not need to be chopped. To add flavor to grilled fish, it is also mouth-watering to eat directly.
Since most of them are raw food, be sure to clean the shrimp onion before using it, but do not soak it in cold water for a long time, otherwise, the sulfide in the onion will produce an unpleasant taste in the water. If you add chopped prawns and onions to hot dishes, you should not put them in the pot too early, otherwise, their color and fragrance will be greatly reduced, and the nutrients contained in them will also be lost.
Also medicine and viewing
Ezo green onion is not only a high-grade spice ingredient with unique flavor, but also an herb with multiple medicinal properties. According to "Chongqing Herbal Medicine", shrimp scallion is acrid, warm in nature and non-toxic; it enters the lung and liver meridians; it has the functions of dispelling cold, dispelling wind and dampness, detoxifying and reducing swelling. Treats cold and dampness, redness, gout, sores.
Indeed, because shrimp onion contains spicy volatile oil, its main component is allicin, which can inhibit or kill a variety of viruses, bacteria, fungi and other pathogenic microorganisms and tumors to varying degrees, and can effectively resist influenza virus, prevent Cold, especially against Shigella and dermatophytes have a stronger inhibitory effect. The volatile oil of shrimp onion is excreted through the respiratory system, urinary system, and sweat glands, which can stimulate the secretion of the cell duct walls in these parts, so it can stimulate the upper respiratory tract and make it easy to cough up sticky phlegm. The malic acid and phosphate sugar contained in the onion can excite the nerves, stimulate the sweat glands of the body, and promote circulation, so as to achieve the effect of relieving the body and clearing heat, sweating and dissipating heat; therefore, it can be used to treat wind-cold cold, aversion to cold, fever, headache, nasal congestion, and yin-cold. Epigastric pain, dysentery and diarrhea, milk obstruction, unfavorable stool, joint inflammation and other diseases.
In addition to allicin, the volatile oil of shrimp onion also contains another sulfide-allionin, which can stimulate the secretion of saliva and gastric juice, increase the tension of the gastrointestinal tract, and promote gastrointestinal motility, thus playing an appetizing effect, which is beneficial to the treatment of atrophy. It has obvious effect on loss of appetite caused by gastritis, gastric insufficiency, indigestion, etc. If the shrimp onion is eaten with foods with high vitamin B1 content, it can promote the conversion of starch and sugar in the food into heat, which can effectively relieve fatigue.
In addition, shrimp onion contains diallyl sulfide, calcium oxalate, as well as fat, sugar, calcium, magnesium, iron and various vitamins. Various vitamins can ensure the normal secretion of human hormones. Among them, vitamin C has the effect of relaxing small blood vessels and promoting blood circulation, which can prevent dizziness caused by elevated blood pressure, keep the brain flexible, and effectively prevent senile dementia. If the shrimp onion and mushrooms are eaten together, the effect of promoting blood circulation can be more effective.
Shrimp onion has anti-cancer and anti-cancer effects. The trace element selenium contained in it is an antioxidant, which can stimulate the human immune response, inhibit the division and growth of cancer cells, and reduce the nitrite content in gastric juice. It has a certain effect on the prevention of gastric cancer and various cancers; the pectin contained in it can significantly reduce the occurrence of colon cancer; the allicin contained in it can also inhibit the growth of cancer cells. In addition, shrimp onion can also reduce the accumulation of cholesterol in the blood vessel wall.
Since ancient times, Ezo green onion has been regarded as something to ward off evil. Although there are some superstitions in this, it is certain that due to the special spicy and irritating taste of shrimp onion, it does have a repellent effect on some insects. Today, in organic farming, Ezo onion is widely grown as a repellent plant for aphids.
In addition to edible and medicinal value, Ezo onion also has high ornamental value, and is a garden plant that is very suitable for potted or planted in pieces. Ezo onion has a slender and slender plant shape, and its leaves are green and round. It is an ideal garden decoration. When necessary, you can also cut off the green onions more than two inches from the root and eat them. In a few days, the new green leaves will be drawn out again, so repeatedly, it can be used in small amounts without interruption.
Of course, in addition to ornamental leaves, the more ornamental value of Ezo onion is the flowers. The shape and color of the inflorescence of Ezo onion are quite charming, like round purple or pale red flower balls, slim. If it is planted as a ground cover plant, every midsummer, a piece of scallion will bloom with beautiful flowers, looking from a distance, it looks like a purple ocean, spectacular and moving.
.jpeg)
