BENGALURU : I never understood why the brinjal was called the king of vegetables. This nomenclature must have come from medieval times. If the decision was taken democratically, the onion would have been the electorally chosen representative for vegetables. Potato poses stiff competition to the onion, no doubt. Perhaps a few decades ago, the potato might have been in power at the centre. But we live in calorie-conscious times and potato’s stock has been falling. But an onion poses no health risks.
Humans have grown and consumed onions long before they started farming or writing. With a rich history dating back to over 5000 years, onions find a mention in nearly every civilisation. The Egyptians buried their royals with onions for the afterlife. Greek athletes consumed onions in large quantities in times when the Olympics did not have a title sponsor. The humble onion finds considerable mention in Indian scriptures too. The Charaka Samhita cites the onion for its medicinal properties, and a number of remedies involve onions and onion juice.
Despite its rich history, the onion has not gotten the respect it truly deserves. The onion has lost out to the crowd-pleasing potato. There is no self-respecting Indian dish that does not use the onion. And yet, the onion is reduced to a side-dish. Look around your table, and you’ll find the onion playing a side-role.You get an onion with your meals; you get a few rings with biryani. In curries, the onions are deep-fried till they lose their basic essence.
And even then, the burnt onion makes the difference between a well-made plate of poha and an ordinary one. I doubt it’s a coincidence that the onion makes you shed tears when you chop it heartlessly. Onions are easy to grow. They are not moody, with prerequisite seasons and climatic conditions. They are easy to store, and fairly convenient to transport. They do not perish easily, and are known to fight cholesterol and fight heart diseases.
While growing up, I was also misinformed about one of onion’s properties. A rumour spread in our hostel that placing an onion in one’s armpit could give one fever. With unit tests looming in the distance, I decided to try out the solution. I did not fall sick, but I certainly smelt very bad for a few days. But even that incident did not deter Yours Truly from respecting the onion. As a bachelor, it is the easiest vegetable to purchase. A cursory look at an onion is enough to determine if an onion should be picked. Unlike other vegetables, one does not need to press, poke, smell, or mutilate to check for freshness.
Yet again, the onion is making the news for the wrong reasons. Prices have skyrocketed, and the onion is going through rough times at the moment. The Indian government is set to import 11,000 kg of onion from Turkey. But in the meanwhile, a number of restaurants in Bengaluru have removed the onion dosa from their menu.
Brothers and sisters of Bengaluru, it is during these tough times that we need to stand by our good friend, the onion. It is said that we only realise the value of something once it’s gone. Once these turbulent times have passed, let us be a little more respectful and considerate towards the onion.Let us work towards a world where chopping an onion does not involve tears of guilt, but a smile of appreciation!The author is a writer and a comedian