Onion is a vegetable and herb that resides in the same botanical family with chives and garlic. The sharp bite and lingering aftertaste of raw onion is due to the oxygenation of the same enzymes that cause watering eyes when cutting into the fresh bulb. Dried onion, whether granulated or powdered, has a milder taste, is much easier on tear ducts and has the added benefit of possessing a long shelf life. Dried and chopped or granulated onion is added directly to foods while cooking and to savory breads and rolls prior to baking. Powdered onion is used as seasoning to enhance the flavor of foods, especially dips and creamy salads.
Onion Chopped, 1/4 lb
Onion is a vegetable in the Allium genus, which includes garlic and chives. For more than 5,000 years, this distance cousin to amaryllis has been cultivated as a food crop.
Most people have experienced tearing from chopping a raw onion, which is caused by a reaction between alliinase enzymes in the vegetable and oxygen in the air. Using dried, chopped onion not only eliminates this response, but also has the added benefit of an extended shelf life.