Onions are as integral a part of national cuisine as, say, beets or dill. And for a long time he was the only one who occupied the onion pedestal. Years passed, agriculture and selection developed, and for several decades now we have been enjoying with great pleasure such bright and tasty varieties of onions as chives, shallots, slime, batun, leeks... But not just onions, as they say. More precisely: not just edible onions. We may surprise you, but there are varieties of wild representatives of this genus that can also be safely eaten, making them part of both home and gourmet restaurant dishes. Today our focus is on edible wild onions.
Onions have been known to mankind since time immemorial. Moreover, our ancestors fell in love with it almost immediately. Gradually, those species that had the most advantageous taste characteristics were domesticated. There are almost ten hundred types of onions. And imagine: among them there are those that were never cultivated, but at the same time in some regions of Europe (where they grow) continue to appear on the table of the local population. A striking example of this is the bear onion, which grows in Siberia. It got its name due to the fact that bears love to feast on the plant. But they are not the only ones. The local population with great pleasure prepares an amazing spring salad with the stems of this representative of the onion flora, adding a boiled egg and dressing with rustic sour cream. Or creates a filling for pies based on it.
Strange onion (Allium paradoxum)
If you live near mountains or hilly hills, and there are oak or hornbeam forests near your city or village, you have probably seen this plant in them more than once. They met him, but simply did not pay attention to him. In the meantime, onions with a strange name can be safely added to salads or snacks.
The bulb of this representative of the flora is more than miniature: its maximum diameter is 1 cm. The husk in which the bulb is wrapped has a color similar to the color of dark asphalt after rain. To the touch, the peel resembles paper and in tactile sensations it is very different from the peel of onions that are familiar to us. The stems of this unusual plant, which chooses foothill oak and hornbeam forests for residence, reach a height of 0.3 meters.
Garlic
What can I say about garlic? Everyone knows him. The oldest vegetable crop contains volatile components - phytoncides, which instantly kill harmful bacteria and parasites. Garlic contains a rich complex of minerals, vitamins, saponins, and essential oil. One of the most popular ingredients in folk medicine, it is part of cleansing and rejuvenating products. The element allicin is used in oncological therapy; the components of garlic destroy cholesterol plaques and save against hypertension.
Garlic is an onion vegetable
There are generally no limits to garlic in cooking; all cuisines in the world are crazy about this vegetable. It is not stored as long as we would like; excessive humidity is contraindicated for it. It grows and is grown on all continents, in any climate, except the Far North itself, and there are countless types and varieties of this vegetable.
Sandy onion
From the name of this plant it is easy to guess that it grows on sandy soil. And this, as a rule, is found only in desert places. Desert onion, which is what this plant is popularly called, has a bulb that is shaped like a miniature oblong egg. The diameter of this “egg” very rarely exceeds 20 mm. The husk, under which the bulb is hidden, is leathery. The color of the bulb and the color of the husk are almost identical. The height of the sand onion stem varies from 0.2 meters to 0.6 meters.
Medicinal properties
Goose onions contain saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, coumarins, and phenolic acids. In addition, it contains essential oil, tannins, fatty oils, alkaloids, and vitamin C.
Medicinal properties:
- antipyretic;
- diuretic;
- expectorant;
- diaphoretic;
- antiviral and antibacterial action.
The plant also has a beneficial effect on the body during the healing of wounds and ulcers.
Onion or chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
You are probably familiar with this bow, unlike the previous two. It is very often used to create mixborders and for border plantings. It looks great in chaotic flower beds, and in wildlife it chooses river valleys, and sometimes even foothills, to live.
The bulb of this representative of the flora is either oblong-ovoid or similar to a cone-shaped egg. It depends on the soil in which the onion grows. The husk, which surrounds the miniature onion with a diameter of 7.5 mm, has a tactile sensation reminiscent of paper. As a rule, only one bulb is attached to a short rhizome. But on some specimens there are several bulbs. In landscape design, onion is valued for its decorative stem. It is thickened, its length is usually half a meter, but can range from 20 cm to 60 cm. During the flowering period, inflorescences resembling lush lilac pompoms bloom at the top of the stem.
Growing Requirements
Goose onion is a plant most often found in deciduous forests, bush thickets and in damp areas (for example, near bodies of water). This small perennial flower is not particularly demanding of environmental conditions, although it prefers sunny positions and permeable sandy-clay soils rich in nitrogen and calcium. This plant is relatively tolerant of low temperatures, but when grown in the garden in the fall, it should be covered with fallen leaves. Under natural conditions, it is precisely this protection that helps the flower survive the winter.
Goose onions are not susceptible to diseases and pests, but the wrong choice of place to grow the plant (for example, too wet soil) can cause rotting of the bulbs or poor flowering.
If you want to grow bird onions in your own garden, you need to provide them with conditions that are as close to natural as possible. Therefore, it is better to choose a place for the flower under trees and shrubs or plant it in the company of other spring bulbous plants (for example, violets). Goose onions are great for growing in naturalistic gardens. However, it should be remembered that a planted single bulb will not give any noticeable decorative effect. It is best to plant at least a dozen bulbs, which will produce beautiful greenery in early spring with lots of decorative yellow flowers. The planting site should be marked visibly so that during summer and autumn work in the garden the bulbs hidden underground are not damaged. When caring for a flower, it is worth protecting your hands with gloves, since the sap of the plant can sometimes cause skin irritation or allergic reactions.
Rock onion (Allium rupestre)
This plant is found in the steppe and on sandy soils. But most often, rock onions grow on rocky soils. Its bulbs are miniature, almost the same as those of the previous plant - up to 1 cm in diameter. True, they differ in their shape: while the skoroda onion is ovoid-oblong, then on the rock onion they resemble an elongated cone. The stem is thin and curved. During the flowering period, a lilac pompom appears on the top of its head, but it is smaller and much less decorative than its previous brother.
Ramson (Allium ursinum)
Remember at the very beginning we told you about the bear bow? This is wild garlic! Bears adore this plant because it emerges from under the snow earlier than other vitamin crops. And in order to compensate for the lack of microelements, the predator feasts on succulent leaves and stems with great pleasure. Ramson, in comparison with the plants listed above, is least reminiscent of onions. Not only that: its aroma is more like garlic. But this is still a type of onion. The wild garlic bulb is small, no more than a centimeter in diameter. But they don’t eat it. A person eats only the triangular stems of the bear onion, the maximum height of which can reach half a meter.
Rocambole - benefits and harms of the plant
Any medication has both positive effects and side effects. If you use them without reading the instructions, bad consequences cannot be avoided. The situation is exactly the same with the hairstyle bow. There are pros and cons to using onion and garlic rocambole. Everyone should evaluate their health and understand whether they personally should consume onion garlic.
For prevention purposes, it is recommended to take one clove of onion garlic per day with meals.
Evidence for use
Regular intake of rocambola will have a healing effect on various organs and systems of the human body:
- The cardiovascular system. Trace elements and minerals contained in onion garlic thin the blood and dilate blood vessels. This normalizes blood flow and reduces the risk of blood clots. The plant contains allicin, which acts as an antioxidant and reduces cholesterol levels in the blood. And the presence of such an element as germanium strengthens the walls of blood vessels, makes small capillaries, large arteries and veins, as well as the valve apparatus and heart muscle more elastic.
- Digestive system. If you use onion garlic as a seasoning for dishes, a person will begin to actively produce gastric juice and their appetite will noticeably improve. The sulfides that make up the product have an antitoxic effect; they instantly bind molecules of toxins and poisons before they cause harm to the body. As a result, a person will cope with poisoning faster. Rocambol is a good anthelmintic. Worms and microbes are eliminated from the body naturally, but beneficial bacteria remain. Hair bow can help with dysentery, irritation of the gastric mucosa, microulcers, and gastrointestinal disorders. Onion garlic helps in the functioning of the liver and gallbladder, promoting the removal of bile.
- Skin. Spanish onion has an antiseptic effect on wounds, ulcers on the skin, and acne. The juice of the plant can be used to treat affected areas of the skin, as well as bruises (to avoid the appearance of bruises). An interesting fact is that during operations during World War I, surgeons used Spanish onion juice as a disinfectant. Using onion garlic juice as a basis, you can prepare a mask to strengthen the scalp hair follicles.
- The immune system. The phytoncides contained in rocambola reduce the likelihood of contracting influenza infections and other colds. And the presence of over 100 sulfides effectively helps in the fight against viruses, staphylococci, typhoid bacilli, and yeast fungi.
Contraindications for use
What will excessive intake of rocambola bring to the human body – benefit or harm? More likely, harm. Onion garlic is great for preventive purposes.
If you replace the main treatment with it or eat it uncontrollably, the following side effects may develop:
- headache;
- skin irritation or rashes;
- itching;
- decreased visual acuity;
- diarrhea;
- burning in the chest area;
- spasms of the cardiovascular system (in rare cases).
Taking rocambola is strictly contraindicated for people with cholelithiasis, gastritis, gastrointestinal ulcers, kidney pathology, and internal bleeding. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should take Egyptian onions very carefully. Children are allowed to add rocambole to their diet only from the age of 3, and not immediately in its raw form, but simply by rubbing a piece of bread with a cut clove of garlic.
Angular onion (Allium angulosum)
And the last member of our top - angular onion - is most often found in water meadows. It has very small bulbs, similar to narrow cones and not exceeding a centimeter in diameter. The bulbs are attached to a thin stem growing straight up. There may be just one bulb under each stem, or there may be two or three.
Wild onion recipes
In fact, there are plenty of dishes that can be prepared from wild onions. The most basic thing is to use onions as an ingredient in salads. However, in some cuisines of the world it occupies not a secondary, but the most leading position. An example of this is Dagestan cuisine, which gave the world such magnificent dishes as kurze and miracle.
Italian onion salad with mascarpone
Peculiarity. This is not even a salad, but a paste for preparing an appetizer, which for some reason the Italians call a salad. The ingredients are pureed, thereby turning into a homogeneous mixture. But this mixture turns out to be very aromatic, rich in taste and incredibly fresh. And first of all - due to bear onions (aka wild garlic). And how you eat it - with a spoon or spreading it with a knife on a slice of crispy white baguette - is your own business.
What we take:
- frozen peas - 0.3 kg;
- Mascarpone cheese at room temperature - two large spoons;
- grated Parmesan cheese - similar amount;
- pureed wild garlic - one and a half large spoons;
- spices and salt - at your discretion.
What we do
- Pour water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- Place frozen green peas in water and boil them for a few minutes.
- To ensure that the peas retain their color, drain the boiling water and place the peas in ice water, which must be prepared in advance.
- Grind the peas in a blender, then grind the puree through a fine sieve to obtain a lighter texture.
- Mix the pea puree with the remaining ingredients and put it in the refrigerator for 60 minutes.
After an hour, we take out our pasta, spread it on crusty bread and serve or eat it ourselves.
Miracle
Peculiarity. Chudu is the national dish of the peoples of Dagestan. In essence, this is a pie prepared, as the Kumyks and Dargins like to say, in a hurry. The dough in miracle is always fresh. And the filling is whatever was in the refrigerator at a particular moment. We invite you to try the incredibly aromatic miracle stuffed with wild onions. You can choose the type of onion yourself - depending on which one grows in the meadow or in the forest near the dacha.
What we take:
- wheat flour - 0.4 kg;
- drinking water;
- a little salt;
- wild onion - four bunches;
- chicken eggs - four pieces;
- butter - small cube.
What we do
- Prepare the dough by mixing wheat flour with water, adding a little salt.
- Let the dough rest for half an hour, and then divide it into segments, each of which should be the size of a fist.
- Finely chop the wild onion with a knife.
- Beat the eggs into one bowl and beat lightly, like scramble.
- Mix onion with eggs and salt to taste.
- Roll out the dough as thinly as possible so that we get an oblong oval.
- Fill one half of the oval with the filling, then cover the filling with the other half and pinch the edges. You should get a huge cheburek.
- Fry the miracle on both sides in a wide frying pan until a beautiful golden crust appears. Pre-lubricate the frying pan with butter.
- Place the miracle on a wide plate, grease with butter and cover with cling film.
Using the same principle, we fry the remaining miracles, gradually stacking them on top of each other, not forgetting to remove the film and grease each “layer” with oil. When the miracle is ready, cut it with a knife, like a layer cake.
Kurze
Peculiarity. Kurze is another national dish of the peoples of Dagestan. Kurze are most similar to dumplings, dumplings or Asian manti. The filling that is in the kurza can be very different, from minced meat or minced meat to cottage cheese. Our version is kurze stuffed with cottage cheese and wild onions.
What we take:
- flour - half a kilo;
- chicken egg - one;
- drinking water;
- salt - at your discretion;
- baked cottage cheese - 0.7 kg;
- wild onion - three bunches;
- chicken eggs - four pieces;
- spices - at your discretion;
- butter - a small amount for greasing.
The list of ingredients is divided into two blocks. The first contains the products necessary to prepare the dough, and the second contains the components of the kurze filling.
What we do
- We prepare the dough in the same way as in the previous recipe, but we do not divide it into segments, but form a ball out of it, which we let rest under a clean kitchen towel for ¼ hour.
- Beat chicken eggs and add baked cottage cheese to them.
- We arm ourselves with a fork and chop the cottage cheese drowned in the egg mixture as efficiently as possible, so that there are no large pieces in the filling.
- Finely chop the wild onion and add it to the filling, use spices and salt to balance the taste.
- Divide the dough that has had time to rest into two or three parts. We roll each part into a layer and cut out perfect circles from it using a glass.
- Place a full teaspoon of filling into each circle and carefully seal the edges.
The optimal technique for sealing the edges of the curze is a pigtail. But you can use any other one - the one that is most convenient for you personally.
If the edges of the kurze are poorly sealed, take a few drops of water and lubricate the internal joints with it. After this, the grip should improve significantly.
All that’s left is to boil the kurze in boiling water. As soon as the liquid boils, throw in the Dagestan “dumplings” and wait for them to float. As soon as they float to the surface, immediately remove them using a slotted spoon and serve, seasoned well with melted butter.
Use in folk medicine
Since ancient times, wild garlic has been known not only as a useful plant for nutrition, but also as a healer of various diseases, both internal and external. Various decoctions, infusions, and compositions were made from wild garlic .
This plant is used as a medicine even today. A large number of different allergic reactions to one or another medical drug forces patients to increasingly resort to traditional medicine recipes.
Hypertonic disease
Tincture of wild garlic
Tincture of wild garlic: 1 part of crushed fresh leaves is poured with 5 parts of vodka and infused in a dark place for three weeks. After filtering the composition, the tincture is ready for use. Take 20 drops per 15 ml of water three times a day for three to four months.
Dysbacteriosis
One tablespoon of freshly squeezed wild garlic juice, diluted with a small amount of water, is taken before meals three times a day. The course of treatment is for a month.
Runny nose and colds
Crushed wild garlic leaves will help cope with colds and runny nose
Fresh wild garlic leaves, crushed into a pulp, are wrapped in gauze and inserted into each nostril in the form of tampons for 10 - 15 minutes several times a day.
Rheumatism
Wild garlic tincture : one part of crushed fresh leaves is poured with four parts of vodka and infused for one and a half to two weeks. Used for rubbing painful joints , including arthrosis, radiculitis, twice a day until pain is relieved.
Pinworm helminthiasis in children
The crushed leaves of the plant are poured with boiled sunflower oil and infused for 24 hours . After filtration, the wild garlic oil solution is used for microenemas.
