Scallion
Scallions, also called green onions, are young onions harvested before the bulb swells, valued for their mild, bright flavor whether scattered raw as a garnish or cooked as an aromatic.
How to buy
Look for firm, bright white bases and crisp, vivid green tops with no sliminess or yellowing; thinner stalks tend to be milder, thicker ones slightly more pungent.
How to store
Store upright in a jar with a bit of water in the fridge, loosely covered with a bag, or wrap in a damp paper towel inside a produce bag; either method keeps them crisp for one to two weeks, longer than most other alliums once cut.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Milder and fresher than a mature onion, with the white base more pungent and the green tops grassier and more delicate; raw it's sharp but clean, and brief cooking mellows it further.
- Texture
- Crisp and crunchy raw, especially the white base; the green tops wilt quickly with heat, so they're often added at the very end of cooking or kept raw as a garnish.
- Aroma
- A fresh, sharp, grassy onion smell, lighter and less sulfurous than a mature onion.
How to prepare
- Thin-sliced raw — Scattered over soups, noodles, and rice as a bright finishing garnish.
- Chopped — White and green parts cooked together as a quick aromatic base.
- Charred or grilled whole — Blistered over high heat until tender and slightly sweet.
- Scallion oil — Infused into hot oil as a fragrant flavoring base for Chinese cooking.
Classic dishes
American
- Loaded baked potato — Sliced scallion is a classic topping alongside sour cream and bacon.
- Scallion cream cheese — Minced scallion folded into cream cheese as a classic bagel spread.
Chinese
- Scallion pancakes — Flaky, pan-fried flatbread laminated with chopped scallion throughout.
- Scallion oil noodles — Noodles dressed in scallion-infused oil and soy for a deceptively simple dish.
- Ginger-scallion sauce — Minced ginger and scallion bloomed in hot oil, classically served over poached chicken.
- Hainanese chicken rice — Poached chicken and rice served with a bright ginger-scallion condiment.
- Scrambled eggs with scallion — Chopped scallion folded into eggs for a quick, everyday stir-fry.
- Congee garnish — Sliced raw scallion scattered over rice porridge for brightness.
- Dumpling dipping sauce garnish — Minced scallion stirred into a soy-vinegar dip for dumplings.
Japanese
- Negi miso soup — Sliced scallion stirred into miso soup for a sharp, fresh contrast.
- Yakitori negima — Skewers alternating chicken and chunks of scallion, grilled over charcoal.
Korean
- Pajeon — A savory Korean pancake made predominantly with whole scallions in the batter.
- Pa kimchi — A kimchi variety made with whole scallions instead of napa cabbage.
- Bibimbap garnish — Sliced scallion tops the mixed rice bowl for sharpness against the other toppings.
Vietnamese
- Pho garnish — Sliced scallion is a standard fresh topping stirred into the hot broth.
- Vietnamese scallion oil over rice — Hot oil infused with scallion drizzled over steamed rice or broken rice dishes.