Onions are versatile and can enhance a recipe's flavor, aroma, sweetness and texture. All onions, no matter the type are crunchy when raw, crispy when fried and soft when cooked.
Have you ever shopped Heinen's Produce Department and wondered which onion to pick? This guide from @ChefBillyParisi will walk you through the different flavor profiles and uses for onions.
Sweet Onion
Sweet onions come in many varieties. They're not innately sweet, it's that they have less sulfur in them which allows you to taste all the sugar content that is naturally in them. They are yellow on the outside and are flatter than a traditional onion.
Sweet onions aren't as sharp as others. They are great served raw, sliced for a salad, in relishes, on burgers and sandwiches, or even as onion rings. If you've never had these before, you will love the flavor!
Red Onion
Slightly sweet and still mild enough to eat raw, these onions have a purple, magenta-like color on the outside. Due to their color, they can make a great garnish! Red onions can be round, or have a flattened globe shape to them.
I usually serve these sliced thinly on burgers or sandwiches. Red onions are often used for pickling and make a tangy topping for tacos or grain bowls. Check out my Kitchen Tip: How to Pickle to learn more.
Yellow Onion
Yellow onions are the most commonly sold onion and have a yellow-bronze coloring. They're round in shape and tend to be on the spicier side due to a high sulfur content. This onion's strong taste relaxes quite a bit and turns into a sweetness when roasting or caramelizing — which is the best way to serve a yellow onion.
White Onion
These have a thin white skin and are much milder in flavor compared to yellow onions which means you can eat them cooked or raw. The flavor finishes quicker on your palate than other onions. White onions are great in salsas or guacamole and are sweet enough for salads or pizza.
Shallot
Shallots are small with a light brown skin and a magenta-purple flesh. Shallot bulbs are very similar to garlic where they have multiple clusters like each individual garlic clove. Shallots are much milder in flavor because they're smaller, but they can still pack a punch! Shallots are not as commonly used in recipes in the United States, but can do an excellent job when roasted or added raw to vinaigrette or pickled.
