Shallot is a biennial clustered, caespitose bulbous herb growing up to 63 cm tall. It is a petite member of the Allium plant family which also includes garlic, chives and onion. Shallots are native to Central or Southeast Asia, traveling from there to India and the eastern Mediterranean. Shallots are wrapped in a multiple paper-thin layers of skin ranging in colors from copper to gold or pink, tapered-shaped shallots are divided into clusters of individually wrapped segments similar to garlic except shallots generally have two to three bulbs per segment. Their violet bulbs with grey-white flesh are aromatic and savory when raw. As they cook, their flavor becomes more delicate and sweet.
| Name | Shallots |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Shallots |
| Native | Central and Eastern China |
| Common/English Name | Baker’s Garlic, Chinese Onion, Chinese Scallion, Chinese Shallots, Japanese Scallion, Kiangsi Scallion, Kiangsi Shallot, Oriental Onion, Rakkyo, Small Angled Chives |
| Name in Other Languages | Spanish : Chalote Chinesa Arabic : Tum El-Khabazeen Vietnamese : Kieu Chinese : Cong Ying Xie Japanese : Rakkyō Danish : Rakkyo Swedish : Rakkyolök Finnish : Valkoruohosipuli Polish : Szczypiorek chiński Hebrew : Shum sini Malaysia : Lokyo Indonesia : Longkio Czech : Česnek Rakijo Korean : Yeom Kyo French : Échalote Chinoise Hungarian : Iyabasi Portuguese : Chalota Chinesa Thailand : Mee Yoi (Northern ) Estonian : Rakkiolauk |
| Plant Growth Habit | Biennial clustered, caespitose bulbous herb |
| Growing Climate | Well adapted to the temperate and subtropical conditions with full sun. |
| Soil | Prefers well-drained, friable and moderately fertile soils such as sandy loams |
| Plant Size | 63 cm tall |
| Root | Adventitious roots |
| Bulb Shape & Size | Narrowly ovoid to ellipsoid, 1–4 cm in diameter |
| Bulb Color | White, membranous coat which is often tinged with golden brown to rose-red |
| Flesh Color | Pulpy white with some green coloring |
| Weight | 25 grams on average |
| Bulb Flavor | Milder and more aromatic flavour |
| Taste | Somewhat like onions milder and delicious |
| Leaf | Distichous, cylindrical, hollow, 20–50 cm by 1–5 mm and 3–5 angled |
| Flower | Campanulate, purplish with six tepals arranged in two whorls, six stamens and a pistil longer than the tepals. |
| Fruit | Obovoid–globose, with concave nectaries covered by hoodlike projections at the base. Style exserted. |
| Varieties/Types |
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| Major Nutrition | Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.345 mg (26.54%) Iron, Fe 1.2 mg (15.00%) Carbohydrate 16.8 g (12.92%) Manganese, Mn 0.292 mg (12.70%) Copper, Cu 0.088 mg (9.78%) Histidine 0.043 g (9.17%) Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 8 mg (8.89%) Phosphorus, P 60 mg (8.57%) Valine 0.11 g (8.57%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 34 µg (8.50%) |
| Health Benefits |
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| Calories in (100gm) | 72 Kcal |