Our common Garden Onion hath diuers long greene hollow leaues, seeming halfe flat; among which riseth vp a great round hollow stalke, bigger in the middle then any where else, at the toppe whereof standeth a close round head, couered at the first with a thin skinne, which breaketh when the head is growne, and sheweth forth a great vmbell of white flowers, which turne into blacke seede: but then the head is so heauie that the stalke cannot sustaine it, but must be vpheld from falling to the ground, lest it rot and perish: the roote as all know is round, in some greater, in others lesser, or flat, in some red on the outside only, in others quite thorough out, in some white, and very sharpe and strong, in others milder, and more pleasant, and some so pleasant that they may be eaten as an Apple: All these kinds of Onions, contrary to the nature of all other bulbous rootes, haue no off-set, or other roote growing to it, but are euery one alone single by themselues; and therefore it seemeth, the Latines, as Columella recordeth, haue giuen it the name Vnio, and the French it should seeme following the Latine, and the English the French, do call it Oignon and Onion, as an vnite, or as if they were but one and one, and dye euery yeare after seed bearing.
The red flat kinde is most vsually with vs the strongest of them all, yet I haue had a great red Onion brought mee from beyond Sea, that was as great almost as two mens fistes, flat and red quite thoroughout, and very pleasant both to smell vnto, and to eate, but did quickly degenerate; so that we plainly see, that the soyle and climate doth giue great alteration to plants of all sorts.
The long kinde wee call St. Omers Onions, and corruptly among the vulgar, St. Thomas Onions.
The other red kinde we call Strasborough Onions, whose outside onely is red, and are very sharpe and fierce.
The white Onions both long and flat, are like vnto Chalke-stones lying vpon the ground, when they are ripe and fit to be gathered.
And lastly, there is the Spanish Onion, both long and flat, very sweete, and eaten by many like an apple, but as Iohn Tradescante saith, who hath beene in Spaine, that the Spaniards themselues doe not eate them so familiarly, as they doe those white Onions that come out of our owne Countrey, which they haue there more plentifully then their sweete Onions.
The Vse of Onions.
Onions are vsed many wayes, as sliced and put into pottage, or boyled and peeled and layde in dishes for sallets at supper, or sliced and put into water, for a sawce for mutton or oysters, or into meate roasted being stuffed with Parsly, and so many waies that I cannot recount them, euery one pleasing themselues, according to their order, manner or delight.
Onions boyled or rosted vnder the embers, and mixed with sugar and butter, are good for those that are troubled with coughes, shortnesse of breath, and wheesing. An Onion made hollow at the bottome, and some good Treakle put into it, with a little iuyce of Citrons (or Lemons in the stead thereof) being well baked together vnder the embers, after the hole is stopped againe, and then strained forth, and giuen to one that hath the plague, is very helpefull, so as hee be laid to sweate vpon it.