# Onions 101: Are scallions THAT much different from red/yellow/white onions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698 "2006-02-15T22:11:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/1 "2006-02-15T22:11:53Z")
Scallions (aka green onions) are a frequent ingredient in recipes I like, but I’m wondering if the dish would take that much different if I substituted grilled/sauteed/baked onions. Getting to the grocer at the spur of the moment can be a hassle. Also, am I correct to assume that white onions have a sharper taste than yellow or red? How would you characterize the taste of these onions? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/2 "2006-02-15T22:15:53Z")
It depends up the dish. Hot and Sour soup wouldn’t be the same. An omlet would be. I’d guess if it called for cooked, I would substitute, raw I wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![tiltypig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@tiltypig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiltypig)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/3 "2006-02-15T22:22:57Z")
I think they’re very different in texture, and quite different in taste. I wouldn’t substitute them, in general. If getting to the store is a hassle, you could try planting some green onion bottoms from the store in a little pot of soil or your backyard, and then you would have green onions on hand whenever you wanted–just go out and snip some off the plant. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/4 "2006-02-15T22:31:21Z")
The texture is certainly part of it, but for me the main difference is the sweetness of scallions. Their sweetness is very apparent and really impacts the overall flavor of a dish. In a pinch, I have used finely-chopped red onions as a substitute, and it works OK. If you go that route (and be sure to use red, not white or yellow, which aren’t as sweet), try to saute or sweat them before you add them, which allows more of their sweetness to emerge. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/5 "2006-02-15T22:34:53Z")
Green onions taste, well, greener. More herby than the sweet, blander and richer tasted of (cooked) “ripe” onions. In fact I think of scallions as an herb, like chives, but I think of onions as a vegetable. They are very much NOT interchangeable; I can’t think of one instance where substition would not change the fundamental nature of the dish. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/6 "2006-02-15T22:51:20Z")
I thought yellow onions were stronger (more biting) than white. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/7 "2006-02-15T23:10:20Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I thought yellow onions were stronger (more biting) than white. They are. Generally, yellow onions are the most pungent, reds are the most mild, and whites are somewhere in the middle. There are some exceptions, like Vidalias for instance, but in most cases the above holds true. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/8 "2006-02-15T23:21:00Z")
{Deja Vu} > [@pulykamell](#): > > They are. Generally, yellow onions are the most pungent, reds are the most mild, and whites are somewhere in the middle. There are some exceptions, like Vidalias for instance, but in most cases the above holds true. {/Deja Vu} Didn’t we already have this discussion? Or was it at another place? Anyway, I have always thought that red were sweetest, followed by yellow and white. Except for the supersweet yellows like Vidalia. Greens can be mild or hot. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/9 "2006-02-15T23:21:27Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > They are. Generally, yellow onions are the most pungent, reds are the most mild, and whites are somewhere in the middle. There are some exceptions, like Vidalias for instance, but in most cases the above holds true. That’s my understanding, too, although I haven’t used a white onion in 20years. I buy yellow onions by the 10lb bag, but try tohave some sweet onions on hand too. We have Walla Walla Sweets out here, so I don’t usually bother with Vidalias, which are similar. It’s my understanding that these are basically the same as yellows, only their flavor is vastly different due to the soil they’re grown in. Right? Wrong? I use regular yellow onions when cooking, and I use sweet for raw. I never vice-versa that; yellows are too sulphury when raw, and sweets are too bland when cooked. I rarely buy red; I prefer the flavor of walla wallas when I need sweet. I do use red onions when I make yellow-tomato salsa though. way purtier. Plus I love red scallions, though they’re not always available. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/10 "2006-02-16T04:17:46Z")
> [@Oslo Ostragoth](#): > > {Deja Vu} > {/Deja Vu} > > Didn’t we already have this discussion? Or was it at another place? > > Anyway, I have always thought that red were sweetest, followed by yellow and white. Except for the supersweet yellows like Vidalia. Greens can be mild or hot. Yes, we did have a discussion here somewhere back. Anyway, to recap from [this website](http://www.digsmagazine.com/nourish/nourish_cluelesscooks_onions-color.htm): > [@](#): > > Yellow onions are generally the cheapest, and have the strongest flavor. They’re pretty overpowering raw, but cooking mellows their flavor nicely, and their inexpensive price makes them a fab choice for most of your cooking needs. White onions are a little bit sweeter and less pungent than yellow, as are red onions. Red onions, in particular, are great either raw (on salads or sandwiches, for example) or grilled. Yellow onions have always been the strongest from my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/11 "2006-02-16T04:58:02Z")
> [@Beadalin](#): > > The texture is certainly part of it, but for me the main difference is the sweetness of scallions. Their sweetness is very apparent and really impacts the overall flavor of a dish. > > In a pinch, I have used finely-chopped red onions as a substitute, and it works OK. If you go that route (and be sure to use red, not white or yellow, which aren’t as sweet), try to saute or sweat them before you add them, which allows more of their sweetness to emerge. You sure you’re not confusing shallots with scallions? I can’t say I’ve ever heard scallions refered to as sweet. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/12 "2006-02-16T05:13:22Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > You sure you’re not confusing shallots with scallions? I can’t say I’ve ever heard scallions refered to as sweet. I gotta agree here. I was even wondering if Beadalin just had a totally different sense of taste from mine. To me, scallions stand alone at the very, very unsweetest end of the onion scale. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/13 "2006-02-16T05:22:20Z")
When the ancient Egyptians talked wistfully of "bread and onions " as their staples/mainstays, were they talking about a pungent onion like the everyday yellow we use now, or was it something different like a scallion or other onion type plant? Also, (veering way off topic) what kind of product was ancient Egyptian “bread”? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/14 "2006-02-16T05:34:08Z")
Shallots, leeks, scallions, onions – they’re all pretty much the same once you saute them a little. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/15 "2006-02-16T05:35:14Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > Shallots, leeks, scallions, onions – they’re all pretty much the same once you saute them a little. Dude, you are are sauteing them wrong, if that’s your result. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/16 "2006-02-16T05:45:02Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > Shallots, leeks, scallions, onions – they’re all pretty much the same once you saute them a little. Um, if you mean _caramelizing_ them, I’ll give it to you, but not a proper saute. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/17 "2006-02-16T06:55:35Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Um, if you mean _caramelizing_ them, I’ll give it to you, but not a proper saute. The food wars thus commence… ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/18 "2006-02-16T07:12:04Z")
_throws a banana creme pie at **Carnac** _ What? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/19 "2006-02-16T14:09:51Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > You sure you’re not confusing shallots with scallions? I can’t say I’ve ever heard scallions refered to as sweet. I’d say that scallions have a certain sweet like sense on top of the onion-ness because of the green stalk. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698/20 "2006-02-16T17:23:26Z")
Huh. Maybe my tastebuds are off. When they’re raw, they’re not very sweet, I’d agree. But whenever I’ve used them in hot dishes – mashed potatoes, Asian noodle dishes, etc. – they’ve lent a definite sweetness that isn’t there with other onion varieties. And yeah, I’d assumed it was the green stalk that did it. I should do a taste test tonight. Yum. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onions-101-are-scallions-that-much-different-from-red-yellow-white-onions/344698.md?page=2)