Green Onion

Green onions—also called scallions and spring onions—are young, immature bulb onions harvested before the bulb swells, making them a distinct harvest stage rather than a separate species. Their white base and light green transition retain the characteristic allium bite, while the dark green tops offer a milder, fresher, almost grassy flavor. This duality is their defining kitchen virtue: you can treat the white base as you would a young leek or mild onion, and use the greens like a fresh herb, raw or barely cooked.

The entire plant is edible, with nearly 100% yield. What distinguishes green onions from mature bulb onions is their low sulfur compound content—the undeveloped bulb means less of the compounds that make your eyes water and give digestives trouble. This makes them forgiving enough for raw applications where a yellow onion would be too aggressive, yet substantial enough to hold their own when grilled, pickled, or folded into a hot dish at the last moment. Their crisp texture and visual contrast between white and green make them one of the most utilitarian garnishes in global cooking.

Worth knowing: the cutting technique matters. In Chinese cooking, scallion garnish (wei cong) is cut on the bias into thin diagonal slivers—a matter of both presentation and texture. In Korean cuisine, mixing thin slices into hot rice and letting it steam briefly (midae) is considered essential for proper bibimbap. These are not decorative choices; they affect how the onion releases its moisture and aroma into the dish.