Onions

Written By Our Member: Stephen Crabbe

Do you like the smell of allicin? No, not the girl’s name! Allicin is a highly volatile sulphur compound. It comes as a gas from a freshly cut onion. That odour is probably the first thing that comes to most people’s minds when someone says onions. Or ung-yuns, if you’re my old gardener-mate Shovel. (We called him that because his real name was Doug.) He ate them every day to keep healthy, but he could never get the tip of his tongue in place to say that word.

Now, the ancient Egyptians probably never said onions either, but in between building pyramids didn’t they love ’em! Their paintings from over 5,000 years ago are full of onions—on a table, on an altar, or in some other setting. Back then, if you went to a funeral you’d win high approval for making an offering of a basket of onions. For thousands of years the common people of the Eastern Mediterranean region ate them with bread and beer every day as their staple diet.

Onions belong to the same plant family as leeks, shallots and garlic. All have remained popular since those ancient times—and not just for eating. During the Great Plague in Europe people believed the disease was caused by evil spirits which they could keep away by hanging strings of onions and garlic on their doors and even around their necks. They did the same to repel vampires.

The hunger for onions among soldiers might even have determined the outcome of wars. On one occasion during the American Civil War in the nineteenth century, the Union’s General Grant was ordered to move his troops to a new location. His note in reply said, ‘I will not move my troops without onions.’ Three cartloads of onions arrived overnight.

Traditional medicine in many countries has long made use of the humble bulb. Place a slice or two on wounds and ulcers. Take a few mouthfuls to treat constipation. Swallow it with rice to get rid of a cold.

In more recent years, scientific research has confirmed the value of chemicals in onions for treating asthma, high blood pressure and some other medical problems. Selenium, in particular, can be effective against cancer. Red and yellow onions—but not the white ones—contain quercetin, an antioxidant which gives some protection against cancer.

The lowly onion, grown by us commoners in the dirt of our backyards, has also found a higher calling. The ancient Egyptians saw in its concentric layers a profound symbol for eternal life. They buried onions with their pharaohs, like Ramses IV, whose body was found with one in each eye socket. Many artists—Renoir, Van Gogh, Cezanne for example—have portrayed the special beauty of the bulb in their works.

Of course, if you aren’t interested in all that stuff about science and history and art, that’s fine. Just grow onions and eat them. Or be like my mate Shovel, who did what his ancestors had done: carry one in your pocket every day to keep healthy.