Know your Allium family – Spring onions, Scallions, Shallots, Leeks

Are scallions and spring onions the same variety? What is the difference between green onions and spring onions? Are leeks the same as spring onions, just more mature. Lets delve into the family genus of Allium and answer these common confusing questions. It is all in the name.

If it has long slender green leaves and a white end fresh from the garden or greengrocer, what have you selected? For the sake of easy recognition we use their Latin names to tell them apart. In different parts of the world and even from state to state, the names often differ. A recipe from one region state to use green onions, but in another region they are called spring onion, both are from the same species. Just to make it that bit harder, many refer to shallots when they mean green onions or scallions.

Green onions or scallions or spring onion have green leaves with white bottoms. The entire plant is edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are milder than the white portion. Green onion are young onions or cropped before they fully mature or develop a bulb. Scallion are when they mature a little more and the bulb is just start to develop.

Shallots look like a small onion and are milder in flavour. They can be eaten raw or cooked and have a milder flavour.

Leeks are usually served cooked and using all the white portion and only lightest colour of the lower leaves. The oldest and darker part of the leaves (upper most) are tougher and not very nice to eat.

What are the allium family?

Allium fistulosum

Green onions or Allium fistulosum is also commonly called spring onions in Australia.

Scallions or Allium fistulosum is also commonly called spring onion or bunching onion or green onions.

Spring onions or Allium fistulosum is also commonly called Welsh onion or green onion or scallions.

Allium ampeloprasum

Leeks.

Allium cepa gr.

or Aggregatum synonymus with Allium cepa gr. ascalonicum or commonly called shallots.