There is probably no kitchen without onions. Before almost any dish is cooked, onion is usually the first ingredient into the pan once the oil is in.
Onions are not only used in other dishes; they are tasty raw as well, and are popular eaten raw, in bharta, in pickles and in salads. Onions also have a number of health benefits, and they are in demand in Bangladesh and in almost every country in the world.
For several days, however, onion prices in Bangladesh have been climbing. Since India's commerce ministry amended its export policy on Sunday to ban onion exports, prices in Bangladesh have been rising by the hour.
A spice plant, not a vegetable
The onion is not actually a vegetable; it is a spice plant. Its scientific name is Allium cepa.
Other plants in the same group include garlic, shallot, leek, chive and Chinese onion. Like garlic, it belongs to the lily family.
It is grown in almost every country in the world, but India and China produce the most onions.
Source: BBC Bangla. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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