THE ODD FLOWER

Onion flower stalks can provide a distinct taste and flavour to food

- VIBHA VARSHNEY

THE BLOOMING of onions, unlike in other crops, does not always bring cheer to farmers. Once the plant sends up a flower stalk, usually around winters, the bulb, which is its commercially important part, stops growing. As a precautionary measure, farmers snip the flower stalks, which are then used as a vegetable.

The flower stalks of onion (Allium cepa) are, however, not easily available in urban vegetable markets and so command a high price. I recently purchased about 200 g of the stalks for ₹30 from Chittaranjan Park market in south Delhi. The market caters to the Bengali community, who are particularly fond of the vegetable and refer to it as peyaj koli. One of their favourite recipes is the quick stir-fried stalks (see recipe).

Though more pungent than the leaves of the green or spring onion, the flower stalks of onion have a mild flavour when compared with the bulbs. Many, therefore, prefer using the flower stalks in soups and salads. The buds at the tip are usually discarded, but they too have a distinct onion-like aroma and can be infused in oil and vinegar to be used as a condiment.

Though the centre of origin of onion is not known for sure, it is believed to have originated somewhere in Central Asia 5,000 years ago. The word peyaz comes from the Persian language. The maximum diversity of Allium species is found in a belt from the Mediterranean basin to Iran and Afghanistan, suggesting that this is the primary centre of origin.