Secret Onions

It's bad enough that onions are disgusting. But the crazy onion lovers have invented many new words that just mean onion so they can slip them past people in foods or on menus. Here are the main culprits.

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Leeks

Prevalence: Low
Nausea Level: Medium
What the cookbooks say: With a more delicate and sweeter flavor than onions, leeks add a subtle touch to recipes without overpowering the other flavors that are present.
The reality: It's not saying much that they have a more delicate flavor than onions. And it's a lie that they don't overpower other flavors.
Foods normally wrecked: Salad, Veal, Fish

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Scallions

Prevalence: High
Nausea Level: High
What the cookbooks say: They tend to be milder tasting than other onions and are typically used raw in salads in western cookery.
The reality: They aren't milder if you decide to always use them raw.
Foods normally wrecked: Soups, Salad, Tacos

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Chives

Prevalence: Medium
Nausea Level: Medium
What the cookbooks say: To make the most of the delicate onion flavor of chives and retain the luscious green color in your recipes, use chives raw. Chive flowers are a welcome addition to salads and bring a touch of spring as a garnish to any dish.
The reality: No wonder I always hated spring.
Foods normally wrecked: Cold soups, stir-fried items, cheese and cream sauces, dips, potatoes

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Shallots

Prevalence: Medium
Nausea Level: High
What the cookbooks say: Considered to be the gourmet member of the onion family due to its mild, delicate flavor, shallots are very similar to green onions, but develop in clusters of small bulbs rather than as individual onions. Shallot bulbs are small, generally elongated, and have a distinctively different flavor and odor as compared to onions.
The reality: The onion lovers always seem to describe the onion flavor as mild and delicate. Why would you pay more for this nastiness?
Foods normally wrecked: Just about anything that regular onions usually wreck.