Shallot

The shallot (Allium ascalonicum) is a perennial herb of the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae), growing in clumps of several small bulbs, 20–50 cm tall. The leaves are hollow, cylindrical and green, soft, tasting of onion but milder; their bases swell into bulbs. The shallot bulbs are small, ovoid to nearly round, 2–4 cm across, with thin purplish-red or violet-brown skin and whitish flesh veined with violet. The flowers form a round umbel atop the scape, small, greenish-white to pale purple; the plant rarely flowers in hot regions and is grown mainly for its bulbs. Both bulbs and leaves are used as seasoning.

The shallot is believed to originate in Western/East Asia and has long been grown across Europe, Asia and the Americas; in Vietnam it is widely grown in the Mekong Delta, famous for the Vinh Chau shallot brand in Soc Trang. Shallot bulbs are a key seasoning: fried crisp in oil for pho broth and garnishing, chopped for braising and stir-fries, used to season soups, and pickled to eat with banh chung and banh giay at Tet. In folk medicine the shallot is pungent and warming, said to open the qi, reduce phlegm and sweating, aid digestion and ward off colds; it is steamed or eaten raw at the onset of a cold.