Lilly Lillies (Onions, Garlic, etc.)
This just so confusing. Just a few years ago asparagus was a lilly and so were garlic and onions, but now asparagus is asparagus - and garlic and onions are asparagus too! Unless, of course, you ask a botanist subscribing to a different naming system.



Contents

General and History

Religious Prohibitions

Most lillies are forbidden to members of the Hahri Krishna sect and other adherents to the Hindu "Brahman Diet", particularly all forms of garlic and onions. These are said to "inspire to lust" and cause "odors of the breath", so should asparagus be likewise condemned for "odors of the pee"?

Working With Lillies

Asparagus

Nearly all commercial asparagus in the U.S. is grown in California, Washington and Michigan. Asparagus spears rise from perennial roots during the spring season and have to be cut on a daily basis (they can grow up to 10 inches in a day). California Asparagus is harvested between January and May with a small harvest in September and October. The Washington crop runs from April to June. The Michigan crop runs from May through July. During the winter Asparagus is flown in from South America.

White Asparagus is the same as green asparagus except mulch is piled up around the spears so they see no light. It is more fiberous than the green so must be peeled. I find it lacking flavor but gourmet chefs love the stuff as a conveyence for their delicate sauces that won't overpower them with its own flavor. White asparagus is particularly revered in Germany where it is considered a symbol of springtime. Being labor intensive, most of the white asparagus in the U.S. is imported from South America.

Onions

Maui Onions
This famous variety of sweet onion is grown on the Hawaiian island of Maui. It hits the market early in the season so it fetches a good price.

Attempts to grow Maui onions on the mainland are imperfectly successful. The appropriate growing climate eliminates much of the country and their unique flavor owes a lot to the volcanic soil in which they're grown. Even if you live in a southern state and have an active volcano in your back yard, continental volcanos probably spew a mix of minerals different from mid-ocean rift volcanos, so you still won't have authentic Maui onions.

Red Onions
Slightly milder Popular raw in salads and and for other recipes where its red color makes a desirable contrast. When cooked most of the color is lost, but it is the most popular onion for cooking on the east coast of India.

Sweet Onions
These are the darling of the hamburger stand. Unusually mild, they are suited to the mass market, they're large so they make hamburger size slices, and they're rather flat, maximizing the number of large slices from each onion. See also Maui Onions.

White Onion
These offer a slightly cleaner, simpler flavor than regular yellow onions but with the same onion bite. Mexican recipes always call for white onions which are traditonal there and for some applications the clean white color is desirable. For cooking there really isn't a noticeable difference between the two so substitute yellow onions if you don't have white.

Yellow Onion - [Brown Onion, Spanish Onion]
This is the most comon onion in the U.S. and generally the lowest cost. In cooking it can be used interchangeably with white and red onions.

Shallots

These have a form similar garlic but fewer, much larger cloves. Sliced they appear similar to a small red onion. With a flavor similar to a red onion with some garlic blended in, shallots are sharp with plenty of "tear power" and can be bitter if too lightly cooked. They have one attribute that makes them essential for some recipes, they disolve completely into sauces which onions will not do even if chopped to equal fineness. A "gourmet" item, they are very expensive in supermarkets but can be had for much less at ethnic groceries serving Indian and Southeast Asian communities where they are used as an everyday ingredient.

What does a recipe mean when it says "One Shallot"? Is there a "Standard Shallot" enshrined in the French National Archive along with the "Standard Meter"? All the items in the photo are shallots commonly sold in Southern California. Which one is "one shallot"? Is "One Shallot" a single clove or all the cloves in a head, and what size head? Do two cloves completely surrounded by peel count as one clove or two? Here's my best estimate for "one shallot":
European recipes1-1/2 ounce
Southeast Asian recipes5/8 ounce

Health Considerations

  • Asparagus is a good source of vitamins A, C, B6, thiamin, folic acid, potassium, and obviously fiber (especially if you don't peel the lower stems). While low in sodium and calories, it is a rich source of rutin and a good source of glutathione (GSH), a powerful antioxidant adn anticarcinogen. It has no fat or cholesterol.

    Asparagus also contains sulphur compounds that cause a noticeable odor in the urine - but many are unable to smell this odor at all. The sulphur compounds have no known adverse health effects.

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