# What is this root? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-root/547548 "2010-07-22T02:21:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-root/547548/1 "2010-07-22T02:21:35Z")
[The white, bulbous looking things with the green tops.](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/dining/21benno.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=dining) (NY Times link; you might have to log in.) Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-root/547548/2 "2010-07-22T02:33:16Z")
Those are scallions (specialty onions). You can eat the shoots or the bulbs. Here is another photo from a different site: > **[Fresh scallions on a farmers market stall. | CanStock](https://www.canstockphoto.com/fresh-scallions-on-a-farmers-market-1006032.html)** > > Fresh scallions on a farmers market stall - download this royalty free Stock Photo in seconds. No membership needed. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-root/547548/3 "2010-07-22T02:36:03Z")
Those look too big and bulbous for scallions. Just some variety of onion, it appears to me. But I could be wrong. The scallions in **Shagnasty** ’s link also look more bulbous than the ones I know. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-root/547548/4 "2010-07-22T02:40:47Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Those look too big and bulbous for scallions. Just some variety of onion, it appears to me. > > But I could be wrong. The scallions in **Shagnasty** ’s link also look more bulbous than the ones I know. They aren’t common scallions which do have small bulbs. The article is about specialty produce. Those are an exotic type. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-root/547548/5 "2010-07-22T02:41:23Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Those look too big and bulbous for scallions. Just some variety of onion, it appears to me. > > But I could be wrong. The scallions in **Shagnasty** ’s link also look more bulbous than the ones I know. Those are usually what I see when the homegrown crops come in. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-root/547548/6 "2010-07-22T02:51:25Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > They aren’t common scallions which do have small bulbs. The article is about specialty produce. Those are an exotic type. Yeah, they’re different from your link. Ok, here’s why I’m asking…and I’m going to sound like an idiot. I was at a farmer’s market, and I bought a yellow squash. I like 'em sliced and fried with an onion. I couldn’t find any onions, but I saw these and grabbed one. I forgot to look at the sign to see what they are! Oh, well. Diced up, whatever they are they should be tasty with the squash. If it’s hard to tell the size in the photo, they are the size of tennis balls. The greens aren’t really round…they kinda remind me of the leaves on Iris plants. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-root/547548/7 "2010-07-22T03:04:25Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > Yeah, they’re different from your link. > > Ok, here’s why I’m asking…and I’m going to sound like an idiot. \*\* I was at a farmer’s market\*\*, and I bought a yellow squash. I like 'em sliced and fried with an onion. I couldn’t find any onions, but I saw these and grabbed one. I forgot to look at the sign to see what they are! Oh, well. Diced up, whatever they are they should be tasty with the squash. > > If it’s hard to tell the size in the photo, they are the size of tennis balls. The greens aren’t really round…they kinda remind me of the leaves on Iris plants. Bolding mine…like I said, I tend to see it with the home grown/local stuff. I always assumed it had to do with the local farmers not using seeds/genetics/computers/testing to maximize crop density or eye appeal (or something like that). (If it makes a difference, I’ve been selling produce for 18 years and it has been in my family for over 100 years) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-root/547548/8 "2010-07-22T03:24:01Z")
Looks like it could be a “[Spring Onion](http://www.harvestwizard.com/2008/05/spring_onions_green_onions_and.html).”