Shallots are vegetables that are included as part of the onion family. Though shallots closely look like onions, their sizes are small and look a lot like garlic. The insides of shallots is not arranged like in onions but are arranged into cloves similar to the structure found in garlic. The outside color of shallots can be either brown, pink or red just like the red onions. The color of the shallots flesh can be purple or even red streaks similar to purple or red onions. Shallots taste like onions but instead of being bitter, they are much sweeter.
When using shallots as part of a recipe, cook them in the same way onions or garlic are cooked. They can be eaten when raw or cooked and normally cook faster than both garlic and onions. There are other varieties of shallots that are longer than others. It is believed that shallots originated from Israel and the surrounding Mediterranean region. The original Israeli name for the shallots was Allium ascalonicum, derived from an ancient Israeli city. The name was later changed by the Europeans to Allium cepa. It was the Crusaders who brought the shallots from Middle East to other parts of Europe.
Shallots are vegetables that are included as part of the onion family. Though shallots closely look like onions, their sizes are small and look a lot like garlic. The insides of shallots is not arranged like in onions but are arranged into cloves similar to the structure found in garlic. The outside color of shallots can be either brown, pink or red just like the red onions. The color of the shallots flesh can be purple or even red streaks similar to purple or red onions. Shallots taste like onions but instead of being bitter, they are much sweeter.
When using shallots as part of a recipe, cook them in the same way onions or garlic are cooked. They can be eaten when raw or cooked and normally cook faster than both garlic and onions. There are other varieties of shallots that are longer than others. It is believed that shallots originated from Israel and the surrounding Mediterranean region. The original Israeli name for the shallots was Allium ascalonicum, derived from an ancient Israeli city. The name was later changed by the Europeans to Allium cepa. It was the Crusaders who brought the shallots from Middle East to other parts of Europe.
