Scallions

A lot of confusion arises from the names “spring onions” and “green onions.” Available in any U.S. market, the long, slender members of the allium family we call scallions have thin, diminutive bulbs. They are sometimes called “spring onions” in the U.S., and routinely called “spring onions” in Britain. But the less common, pudgy-bulbed “real” spring onion has a thinner skin and more narrow greens. It’s actually a bulb onion, harvested young, whose greens have not been trimmed, so they come to a point. These are sweeter, juicier, more aromatic, and are the green onion of choice in Southeast Asia. Both the green and white portions are used, although some recipes call for only one part or the other. If you can’t find true spring onions, use scallions. Thai: ton hom; Vietnamese: hành lá; Malay: duan bawang, Tamil: lunu kolle