What Is the White Part of a Scallion? A Roundup of Rural Proverbs About Scallions

We all know scallion-type plants such as Welsh onions, spring onions and small scallions, which are generally used by us as vegetables or seasonings. They contain an aroma, and when added to dishes, the food tastes better with every bite. So, do you know what the white part of a scallion is? Here we introduce it to you.

1. What is the white part of a scallion?

1. The white part of a scallion is the bulb near the root of the scallion, a plant of the Liliaceae family. It is the part between the leaves and the fibrous roots; cut off the fibrous roots and leaves and peel off the outer membrane, and what remains is it. Its shape is cylindrical, its color is white, the bulbous leaves are layered, with white longitudinal stripes on them, and the whole has a pungent odor.

2. The white part of a scallion is a very good ingredient. It originated in China, and is now planted throughout the north and south of our country. It can be harvested at any time and is generally used fresh. It can be used to stir-fry dishes, make soup, cook congee, make pancakes, and so on, such as scallion and fermented black bean soup, scallion and jujube soup, mashed scallion potatoes, braised pig trotters with scallion, scallion white congee, scallion pancakes, and more.

3. The white part of a scallion is a vegetable with relatively high nutritional value, containing protein, carbohydrates and various other vitamins and minerals. However, it cannot be eaten together with foods with a relatively high calcium content, as this will hinder the human body's absorption of calcium. It cannot be eaten together with honey, as this easily causes diarrhea. It cannot be eaten together with dog meat or rooster meat, as this easily causes internal heat.

4. The white part of a scallion is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with very high medicinal value. It has the effects of inducing sweating and releasing the exterior, and of promoting and unblocking yang qi. It can also promote digestion and absorption, resist bacteria, resist viruses, prevent and fight cancer, lower blood lipids, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and more. However, it cannot be taken together with Liuwei Dihuang Wan, as the two have opposite effects. Moreover, people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases, those with exterior deficiency, those who sweat a lot, and those with eye diseases should avoid eating it or eat less of it.

2. What rural proverbs about scallions are there?

1. After the Start of Summer, the day grows by a handful; after the Start of Autumn, the day shortens by a scallion: This means that after the Start of Summer, the daytime hours begin to increase and the nighttime hours gradually decrease; compared with spring, the day grows by the time of a “handful”. After the Start of Autumn, the nighttime hours gradually increase and the daytime hours gradually decrease; compared with summer, the day shortens by the time of “one scallion”.

2. Do not trade greens over a thousand li, and when trading greens do not trade scallions: This means that over a distance of more than a thousand li it is no longer suitable to do business selling green vegetables, because green vegetables have a very high water content, and after being picked their water is lost very quickly, so after being sold the profit will be reduced by a lot. Even when trading green vegetables, one would not trade scallions, because scallions suffer even greater losses, and after being sold the profit is even smaller.

3. Harvest scallions at Light Snow, or they will be empty if not harvested: This means that when the Light Snow solar term arrives, all parts of the north will also enter freezing, and at this time it is a good season for storing scallions. If the scallions are still not harvested, the white part will be frostbitten and will be hard to preserve, causing the white part of the scallion to lose water and become hollow and spoiled.

4. Cabbage that cannot be drowned, scallions that cannot be killed by drought: This means that cabbage tolerates waterlogging and likes water, and needs a lot of water; even if it is flooded it will not die. Welsh onions, however, tolerate drought and keep growing; even in severely dry weather they are not easily killed.

5. If scallions are not lifted at the Start of Winter, half of them are sure to be empty: This means that after the Start of Winter it is time to harvest the scallions. If the scallions are not harvested, they will easily be damaged by frost, and the lower half will simply freeze away.

Summary: The white part of a scallion is the bulb near the root of the scallion, a plant of the Liliaceae family. It is the part between the leaves and the fibrous roots, and is a vegetable with relatively high nutritional value as well as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with very high medicinal value. It can be used to stir-fry dishes, make soup, cook congee, make pancakes, and can also be used as medicine. The above are five rural proverbs about scallions; we hope they are useful to everyone.