Everything about Shallot totally explained
The term
Shallot is used to describe two different
Allium species of plant. The
French grey shallot or
griselle, which has been considered to be the "true shallot" by many, is
Allium oschaninii, a species that grows wild from
Central to
Southwest Asia. Other varieties of shallot are
Allium cepa var.
aggregatum (multiplier
onions), also known as
A. ascalonicum.
This ambiguity is further confused with
scallions, also known as spring or green onions. In some countries green onions are called shallots, and shallots are referred to by alternative names such as
eschallot or
eschalotte.
The shallot is a relative of the onion, and tastes a bit like an onion but has a sweeter, milder flavor. They are more expensive than onions and can be stored for at least 6 months.
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Unlike onions where each plant normally forms a single bulb, shallots form clusters of
offsets, rather in the manner of
garlic.
Shallots are extensively cultivated and much used in cookery, in addition to being
pickled. Finely sliced
deep-fried shallots are used as a
condiment in
Asian cuisine. Shallots tend to be considerably more expensive than onions, especially in the
United States.
Shallots are propagated by offsets, which, in the
Northern Hemisphere are often planted in September or October, but the principal crop shouldn't be planted earlier than February or the beginning of March. In planting, the tops of the bulbs should be kept a little above ground, and it's a commendable plan to draw away the
soil surrounding the bulbs when their roots have taken hold. They shouldn't be planted on ground recently
manured. They come to maturity about July or August, although they can now be found year-round in supermarkets.
Similar to onions, raw shallots release chemicals that irritate the eye when sliced, resulting in tears. See
onion for a discussion of this phenomenon.
Shallots appear to contain more
flavonoids and
phenols than other members of the onion family.
In Australia, the foodstuff industry has renamed a number of vegetables. The name
shallot has been applied to
scallions, normally called spring onions in Australia, and shallots have been renamed
eschalotte. The term
French shallot has also been used for
Allium oschaninii.
There is a very specific region of shallot gardening in southeastern Ghana.
The name of the shallot derives from the name of the city of
Ashkelon (
Latin ‘Ascalon’) in ancient
Canaan, in Italian its name is "scalogno".
Shallots in Persian Cooking
The shallot in Persian is called موسیر (Moo-Seer), which is often crushed into yogurt. Iranians enjoy yogurt in this way, especially in restaurants and Kebbab-Saras where just kebabs are served. Most shallots are grown wild, harvested, sliced, dried, and sold at markets. Buyers will often soak the shallots for a number of days then boil them to get a milder flavor.
Shallots in South East Asian Cooking
Shallots are called 'bawang merah kecil' (small red onions) in
Bahasa Melayu, an official language of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore, and "hom" (หอม - literally "fragrant") in Thai. In South East Asian cuisines, such as Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines, both shallots and garlic ('bawang putih', white onions) are very often used as elementary spices. Raw shallot can also accompany cucumbers when pickled in mild vinegar solution.
It is also often chopped finely, then fried until golden brown, resulting in tiny crispy shallot chips called 'bawang goreng' (fried onions)in Indonesian language, which can be bought ready-made from groceries and supermarkets. It enhances the flavor of many South East Asian dishes, such as
fried rice variants.
In Indonesia, sometimes it's made into
pickle which is usually added in variable kinds of traditional food. Its sourness increases one's appetite.
It is widely used in the southern part of India. It is called Sambar Vengayam in Tamil and Kochulli in Malayalam and is used in Sambar (a type of curry) and different types of kuzhambu(curry).
Further Information
Get more info on 'Shallot'.
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