30 - Potato onion (Multiplier onion)

Abstract

Potato, or multiplier, onion is also known as underground onion. It forms closely packed clusters of bulbs underground, rather than on the surface like the shallot. It is difficult to obtain reliable data regarding the total area and production of potato onion because in many countries, it is grown only domestically. However, in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India, potato onions are grown on a commercial scale for export and for internal consumption. Multiplier onions are cultivated in domestic gardens in Europe, North America, The Caucasus, Kazakhstan and the south-east of European Russia. They are grown commercially in Brazil, Southern India and Thailand, where the taste is preferred to that of the common onion group. Potato onions are rich in minerals, including potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen and calcium. They also contain protein and ascorbic acid. This chapter presents the chemical composition of the onion bulb. The bulblets of multiplier or potato onions are widely used in cooking. Potato onions are mostly used fresh, but the bulblets can also be used as a pickle in vinegar and brine.