Types of Onions: Characteristics of the Italian Varieties

. With an unmistakable flavor, what makes it the "queen" of the kitchen is also its extreme versatility and the ability to enhance the flavor of any type of dish.

, the golden onions are the most neutral and those that adapt to the greatest number of recipes, unlike the white ones, which have a decidedly more intense flavor.

Red onions are quite similar to golden ones, but slightly more crunchy.

Finally, the desserts have a more delicate scent and are suitable only for certain types of dishes.

and contain a flavonoid known as quercetin that fights free radicals, improves cardiovascular health, protects against certain types of cancer, and keeps triglycerides, blood pressure and cholesterol at bay. For these characteristics, onions are considered among the most valid foods in contrasting arteriosclerosis.

Regularly introducing onions into your diet is also important because these foods reduce blood sugar levels, have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and stimulate the immune system.

These foods are also a good source of probiotics, elements that feed healthy bacteria in the intestine, restoring intestinal balance and improving the entire ecosystem.

Thanks to the large quantity of water they contain, they also have diuretic properties. Finally, they strengthen the bones, preventing osteoporosis.

Is there an onion that is more beneficial than the others?

Although all types of onions represent a valuable tool for the body's wellbeing, one type in particular seems to have extra power against free radicals.

These are red onions, which owe their color to the presence of anthocyanins, water-soluble dyes belonging to the flavonoid family that seem to have antidiabetic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anti-obesity properties, and which would help prevent cardiovascular diseases.

How to choose the variety of onions to buy?

Although red onions seem, on paper, to have an edge over the others, this does not mean that they are absolutely the best.

The variables to be calculated when at the supermarket you are faced with a purchase choice, in fact, are many. Which ones, based on personal experience, are digested better? Which ones do you like best? Which ones suit the recipe you have in mind?

Onions are among the fruits and vegetables that can be grown simply at home with scraps.

Digestion of Onions

To absorb most of the nutrients and thus benefit from their properties, the ideal would be to eat them raw, although many people find it difficult to digest them.

Although the feeling of heaviness on the stomach that onions often leave appears less often after a light cooking, it is not, however, a rule that is valid for everyone but a very subjective physical reaction that can also depend on the type chosen. In short, each organism reacts differently to each of them.

, eaten alone or as an accompaniment to steaks, burgers and sandwiches. Also excellent raw cut into thin slices as a salad dressing.

White onions: their most common use is in the basics of traditional recipes and sauces. First of all the Italian sauté which, in addition to the white onion cut into very small cubes, includes the addition of carrots and celery to be browned in the "olive oil".

Golden onions: they are one of the most flexible varieties and this makes them suitable for many uses. They hardly clash with any recipe, but the dishes in which their flavor is enhanced the most are stews and roasts.

Sweet onions: not everyone likes them, because of their slightly sweet taste, which makes them different from the others. If you decide to use them, however, the advice is not to distort their nature but to indulge it. To do this, the ideal is to caramelize them, use them in sweet and sour recipes or to garnish dishes. They are also excellent in the form of jam.

Shallots: from the onion family, even if their appearance is decidedly different, they are characterized by a soft but distinct flavor. Multi-purpose variety, it goes very well with many recipes but gives its best caramelized, confit or eaten raw, as a dressing for salads or potato-based dishes.

Spring onions: visually they look like a cross between an onion and a shallot and they too have infinite uses. They can be eaten raw in salads or grilled, roasted, stewed. Perfect to be enjoyed also in the form of accompanying sauces.