| Pearl onion | |
| Species: | Allium ampeloprasum var. sectivum or A. ampeloprasum 'Pearl-Onion Group' |
| Cultivar: | 'Pearl onion' |
The pearl onion (Allium ampeloprasum var. sectivum or A. ampeloprasum 'Pearl-Onion Group'),[1] also known as button onion, baby onion or silverskin onion in the UK,[2] is a close relative of the leek (A. ampeloprasum var. porrum), and may be distinguished from common onions by having only a single storage leaf,[3] similar to cloves of garlic. In French they are known as oignon grelot. One English-speaking reference also mentions the term petit poireau antillais.[4]
Pearl onions are cultivated mostly in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, usually in home gardens,[1] although formerly on a commercial scale.[4] They are mostly used for pickling.[5]
Because of its uniquely small size and a taste sweeter than that of a common onion,[2] [6] it has also been used in dishes ranging from mid-20th-century American casserole dishes such as succotash to sweetly flavored onion relishes in Indian cuisine. It can also be used in stews soups or sautéed (fried) with other vegetables.[7] [2] [8] It can also be used in cocktails such as "martini standing".
Pearl onions are a staple to the cuisine of Northern Europe. Also in modern Europe they are used as a flowering plant, and in Israel as a cut flower.[4]
Pearl onions contain chemical compounds that have health benefits including helping cardiovascular health and stabilize blood sugar levels, and acting as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
The majority of onions grown for pickling are common onions (A. cepa),[9] which are normally much larger, but are grown to a small size suitable for pickling by planting them so densely that each one has very little room to grow.[10] Common onions grown in this way are often referred to as "pearl onions" even though they do not belong to the same family as true pearl onions.[11]
White varieties of common onions grown in this way for pickling include Crystal Wax[12] and White Bermuda.[6] There are red varieties as well, which are milder in flavour.[13] Common onions grown from seed to produce small bulbs for pickling are ready to harvest in 90 days.[6] In their fresh state they can be stored for up to a month in a cool, dry, dark place.[13] [14]
Larry Wall's yearly State of the Onion speeches about advancements in Perl programming, an allusion to the many layers of the language, are named as a pun both on the pearl onion and the U.S. president's State of the Union addresses.