Shallot
Read about Shallot in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Shallot is Allium ascalonicum, Linn., native of Syria. It is grown chiefly for the small oblong-pointed gray bulbs (into which the parent bulb separates after harvesting in summer), which are used in cookery for flavoring; the leaves are sometimes eaten in a green state. The bulbs are of mild flavor. Shallots are little known in North America. They are grown as are garlics (see Garlic), the bulbs or cloves being separated and planted early in spring in any good garden soil. Each bulb produces several, all cohering by the base. The mature bulbs are 2 inches or less long and only about half that in diameter. The leaves are small, terete, and hollow. The plant is hardy. The bulbs will keep several months or even a year. Small onions are sometimes sold as shallots.
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Shallot, as the word is commonly used, or eschallot in some countries, refers to 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. Template:Fact
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".
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 where they are almost exclusively imported from France.Template:Fact
Shallots are propagated by offsets, which, in the Northern Hemisphere are often planted in September or October, but the principal crop should not 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 is a commendable plan to draw away the soil surrounding the bulbs when their roots have taken hold. They should not 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 are particularly high in anti-cancer compounds. [1]
In Australia, the Scallion plant is also commonly referred to as a shallot. Allium oschaninii is commonly referred to as a French Shallot.
There is a very specific region of shallot gardening in southeastern Ghana.
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 Indonesian Cooking
The shallot in Indonesia is called 'bawang merah'. In Indonesian cuisine, both shallots and garlic (bawang putih) are very often used as elementary spices. Raw shallot accompanies cucumber 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'. It enhances the flavour of many Indonesian dishes, such as opor ayam (chicken curry) and Indonesian-style fried rice variants.