Oh the onion! Is there any other vegetable that can evoke such a rash of reactions? They can be sweet and mild or cause a five-alarm fire in your mouth. Even the onion's botanical name, Allium is derived from the Celtic word "all", which means pungent(Block, 1992). One of the unique features of onions and other Alliums is a chemical composition that contains large amounts of organic bound sulfur. It's these sulfur compounds that give rise to the onion's unique flavor, creating striking physiologicalactivity as well as culinary appeal (Block, 1992). Equally as interesting is the theory that onion flavor originally developed as a chemical defense mechanism to protect dormant bulbs from herbivores during unfavorable growing conditions. Currently there is a substantial understanding of how factors such as cultivar genetics, sulfur fertility, temperature, and irrigation can influence onion flavor development. There are also several analytical means used to assess onion flavor and how it equates to human taste perception. Knowledge of these influencing factors and analytical assessment tools are already being used by industries to manipulate onion flavor to suite specific market niches.
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