Since when did Scallions become "Spring onions"?

Spanish Eyes

Just thought about this the other day.

Maybe it's an Irish thing, but for me, scallions are spring onions. They remind me so much of my late father slathering them in (yikes) salad cream along with tomatoes, and a slice of ham and maybe a bit of beetroot, and of course the obligatory hard boiled eggs.

The perfect Sunday salad years ago. :rolleyes:

There must be loads of Irish food terms that have been overtaken over the past few years.

Anyone?

Corsendonk

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Just thought about this the other day.

Maybe it's an Irish thing, but for me, scallions are spring onions. They remind me so much of my late father slathering them in (yikes) salad cream along with tomatoes, and a slice of ham and maybe a bit of beetroot, and of course the obligatory hard boiled eggs.

The perfect Sunday salad years ago. :rolleyes:

There must be loads of Irish food terms that have been overtaken over the past few years.

Anyone?

Since we started shopping from British supermarkets here. If they sell the same line in the UK whats the point in creating a separate product on their systems for such a small but profitable market.

dh0661

Corsendonk wrote: »

Since we started shopping from British supermarkets here. If they sell the same line in the UK whats the point in creating a separate product on their systems for such a small but profitable market.

And possibly that they are being imported from Mexico all year round.

I know an old lad who grows onions commercially for the local market, he calls his the greenery part of his onions scallions.

Corsendonk

dh0661 wrote: »

And possibly that they are being imported from Mexico all year round.
.

We don't import them all year round from Mexico. It makes no sense to get them shipped from Mexico to California then flown over when they can be grown for cheaper in the Irish summer months or imported from Europe for less than airfreight costs from the US.

Anyway the term Scallions or Green Onion is used in the States and Mexican English follows the american form so why would they call them spring onions?

Owen

And there was me wondering why spring onions were called Scallions.

olaola

I still call them scallions. Looking at different cookery programs from different countries - I think in USA they're scallions, and maybe Austrualia too.

Corsendonk

Getting back to the OP, another one would be Ray, in Ireland we always know it as Ray but the english call it Skate and you see that term used more here.

Alun

Corsendonk wrote: »

Getting back to the OP, another one would be Ray, in Ireland we always know it as Ray but the english call it Skate and you see that term used more here.

Actually Skates and Rays are two different species, albeit very difficult to tell apart.

http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/shark_profiles/skate_or_ray.htm

Alun

On the scallions vs. spring onions thing, being English myself I always wondered why the Irish called them scallions as I was always under the impression it was an American word, or maybe the Americans got the word from Irish immigrants?

joolsveer

When I was a child I remember my scottish cousins calling them skybees (?). I can't find anything on the net about this.

Just found this

Scallions have various common names throughout the world.

* Australia: The normal term is spring onion, but the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries has introduced the term shallot. This has also required the renaming of shallots to eschalotte.
* Brazil: cebolinha-verde, meaning "small green onions" and is usually sold combined with parsley to form "cheiro verde", literally "green smell". "Cebolinha" is also the name of a popular comics character, named so because his scallion-like hair, known in English as Jimmy Five.
* Bulgaria: пресен лук, meaning "fresh onion". Extensively used in various popular Bulgarian salads, usually in combination with lettuce and tomatoes
* Cagayan, Philippines: lasuna especially to dark, green scallions. Used widely in sauces and as garnishes.
* Cebu, Philippines: sibuyas dahunan derived from the two local words sibuyas meaning onion and dahunan meaning leafy or with a leaf.
* China: They are usually called cong (葱).
* Cuba: Usually called cebollino which could be something like "small onions".
* Denmark: Forårsløg, which literally translates to spring onions.
* Germany: Frühlingszwiebeln, which literally translates to spring onions. The term Schalotte has also been used.
* Great Britain and some Commonwealth countries: The most popular name is spring onions.
* Wales: They may also be referred to as gibbons (pronounced jib-uns).
* Scotland: They may be referred to as cibies or syboes.
* Ireland: The term scallions is used.
* Italy: They are usually called "cipollotti" or "cipolline novelle".
* India: They are called spring onions and they are available widely.
* Indonesia: They are referred to as Daun Bawang which literally translates to onion leaf from their green and leafy form.
* Iran: They are referred to as Tarreh and are used in many dishes.
* Japan: . Traditionally, green scallions similar to those available in other countries have been used in the Kansai region; Kyoto's kujo negi is a representative variety of this type. In the Kantō region, large white-stalked varieties such as tokyo negi outwardly resemble leeks, although their culinary use is closer to scallions than to leeks.
* Korea: pa (hangul: 파).
* Malay: They are called daun bawang.
* The Netherlands: Bosuitjes, which literally translates to forest onions or Lenteuitjes, which translates to Spring Onions.
* New Zealand : They are called "Spring Onions"
* Peru : They are called "Cebollita china" which literally translates to "chinese onion"
* Serbia: They are known as mladi luk ("Young onions").
* Catalonia, Spain: There is a variety known as Calçot, (though this can be used to mean the immature sprout of an ordinary onion after over-wintering). They are eaten roasted and accompanied by a savoury dip.
* Sweden: They are known as "salladslök" which translates to "salad onions". Some people use "vårlök" which is a literal translation of spring onion, but actually refers to Gagea lutea.
* Thailand: They are called "ต้นหอม", roughly translated as "stemmed onion" and can be eaten raw as a condiment to many foods, chopped and used as garnish or boiled with other root vegetables to provide stock.
* Turkey: They are called either "taze soğan" or "yeşil soğan", which literally translate to fresh or green onion.
* Vietnam: They are called "Hanh La", which literally translates to leafy onion.
* United States and Canada: scallion or green onion. The term green onion can also be used for immature specimens of the ordinary onion (Allium cepa).
* Loseland: Referred to as "Marquilletion" and famed for being the worst of all scallions. Also see lesser scallion.

http://scallion.askdefine.com/

joolsveer

Cébette
Un article de Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre.
Aller à : Navigation, rechercher

L'oignon cébette est un oignon à bulbe très réduit formant un fût très long comme la ciboule. Cet oignon se cultive surtout autour du bassin méditerranéen et en Chine. Vous pouvez l'utiliser à la place de l'oignon bulbe, le blanc se consommant plutôt cru, et le vert plutôt cuit. L'oignon cébette, comme tous les allium a besoin d'un sol drainant et d'une exposition chaude.

In French supermarkets I have usually seen scallions referred to as green onions.

Corsendonk

Alun wrote: »

Actually Skates and Rays are two different species, albeit very difficult to tell apart.

http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/shark_profiles/skate_or_ray.htm

Its the term they use for the same product.

mathepac

Alun wrote: »

... being English myself I always wondered why the Irish called them scallions as I was always under the impression it was an American word, ...

We call them scallions because that's their name, apparently derived from the Israeli city of Eshkhalon via the Greek name for the plant askolonion, to give us the plant's Latin name Allium ascalonicum. Other countries / languages please take note

olaola

Skate & Ray are similar, but different, both belonging to the superorder 'Batoidea'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiformes (Skates)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myliobatiformes (Rays)

Alun

Corsendonk wrote: »

Its the term they use for the same product.

Maybe, but the question then is which one?

Alun

mathepac wrote: »

We call them scallions because that's their name, ...

Toto Wolfcastle

I call them spring onions.

Someone recently called me posh for calling them that.

dh0661

Corsendonk wrote: »

We don't import them all year round from Mexico.

Check it out, I know it makes no sense but it's true.

Mellor

olaola wrote: »

I still call them scallions. Looking at different cookery programs from different countries - I think in USA they're scallions, and maybe Austrualia too.

Nope spring onion is australia. The wiki link above mentions shallots in NSW, which isn't true. May or may not be on a NSW list, but scallions are called spring onions, and shallots are, well, shallots

dh0661 wrote: »

Check it out, I know it makes no sense but it's true.

Regardless, that has no bearing on what we call them here.

If an irish shop, imported them from england (where they are called spring onions) they would still be called scallions in the irish shop, regardless of what it said on the box they came in.

Bigger chains like M&S and tesco with UK and RoI branches, use one naming convention. Majority rules so spring onions is used there.

rubadub

janeybabe wrote: »

I call them spring onions.

Someone recently called me posh for calling them that.

I would have thought the opposite, scallion always sounded more fancy to me. I call them spring onions and nearly always heard and saw them called that in shops here, I had heard the term scallion long after spring onion.

Mellor wrote: »

Nope spring onion is australia.

If an irish shop, imported them from england (where they are called spring onions) they would still be called scallions in the irish shop, regardless of what it said on the box they came in.

I don't know how you could be so definite, talking about it like its almost a law, esp. after reading the posts you can see people do call them different things.

Mellor wrote: »

Majority rules so spring onions is used there.

A quick rough test can be done on google to see what people are typing on webpages. search for all .com.au sites with the word scallion
13,100
http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en#sclient=psy&hl=en&complete=1&site=webhp&q=scallion+site:.com.au&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=28f0842bd6cb1d18

and spring onion, 13,200!
http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en#sclient=psy&hl=en&complete=1&site=webhp&q=%22spring+onion%22+site:.com.au&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=28f0842bd6cb1d18
feck all between it

.ie gets 1,760 for scallion.
5,020 for spring onion.

On the scallion link you can see people asking "what is a scallion", but none were on the page for spring onions. I imagine more people who call them scallions know what a spring onion but not vice versa

Corsendonk

dh0661 wrote: »

Check it out, I know it makes no sense but it's true.

I have. I know the people who import them. It doesn't make sense to import them all year round. Sometimes lazy supermarkets don't change the country of origin signs on the shelf so you think your buying Mexican but they might be actually Irish. A case containing 84 bunches of iced scallions from Mexico is 28 euros based on yesterday Dublin Fruit and Veg Market price. Actually shows you the supermarket markup, SV are selling them at 79c a bunch or other supermarkets keep around the same price.

They import them this time of year because Irish scallion quality levels have declining with the cold and lower light levels but otherwise you can source Irish grown for cheaper and still sell at 79c and the supermarket has a better margin.

Corsendonk

joolsveer wrote: »

Loseland: Referred to as "Marquilletion" and famed for being the worst of all scallions. Also see lesser scallion]

Where the hell is Loseland?

joolsveer

Beats me! I'm at a loss.

dh0661

Corsendonk wrote: »

A case containing 84 bunches of iced scallions from Mexico is 28 euros based on yesterday Dublin Fruit and Veg Market price.

= 33c bunch. A case of Irish x 12 costs €4- = 33c bunch.

pickarooney

I usually distinguish between them - spring onions have a bulb whereas scallions are straight. It must be just me that does that!

mathepac

pickarooney wrote: »

... spring onions have a bulb whereas scallions are straight...

Thanks I'll remember how to distinguish between them for the future spring / summer salad shoping; scallions are heterosexual and spring onions glow in the dark and are ghey. Cool.

the beer revolu

dh0661 wrote: »

Check it out, I know it makes no sense but it's true.

As a watcher of origin labels I can say that different supermarkets at different times will have spring onions (I'm posh;)) from USA, Mexico or Ireland. Sometimes Tesco will have Mexico ones while SuperValue will have Irish ones and visa versa. Sometimes the same supermarket will have them from different countries at the same time eg. 'flow pack' (whatever the fook that's supposed to do!?) ones from USA and loose bunches from Ireland.

Mellor

rubadub wrote: »

I don't know how you could be so definite, talking about it like its almost a law, esp. after reading the posts you can see people do call them different things.

I'm definite because I live in Australia. I buy them every week. I was going by what they are labeled in all the shops. Spring onions is the named used.
What you find on web pages doesn't mean a whole lot.

charlemont

they are delicious ...

Corsendonk

the beer revolu wrote: »

As a watcher of origin labels I can say that different supermarkets at different times will have spring onions (I'm posh;)) from USA, Mexico or Ireland. Sometimes Tesco will have Mexico ones while SuperValue will have Irish ones and visa versa. Sometimes the same supermarket will have them from different countries at the same time eg. 'flow pack' (whatever the fook that's supposed to do!?) ones from USA and loose bunches from Ireland.

Can't say I ever seen USA, but the mexican come in flow packs boxed up and then covered with ice to cool when transporting up from Mexico. The flow pack slows down the breathing of the produce and so slows breakdown. You will notice do when a store opens too many packs at once the scallions dry out rapidly. You will get mixed sources at different times of year, either Irish can't supply 100% or a supermarket might pull supply if there having quality/shelf life issues with the current country of origin. All these lines are quality checked before they hit a store.

dh0661

pickarooney wrote: »

I usually distinguish between them - spring onions have a bulb whereas scallions are straight.

NO NO NO - spring onions are straight and scallions have a bulb.

That's it - the young plants that grow in the spring, if harvested, are called spring onions.

If they are left to grow older and have a bulb, are called scallions.

rubadub

Mellor wrote: »

I'm definite because I live in Australia. I buy them every week. I was going by what they are labeled in all the shops. Spring onions is the named used.
What you find on web pages doesn't mean a whole lot.

Well dismiss it if you want, but I think it is very relevant if there is a 50/50 split of the usage on australian websites. I think it is strange to be so definite when there are obviously mixed opinions/usages out there.

I could use similar logic and say I go to sit down fast food places here every week and conclude that the term used in Ireland is "fries" and not chips.

Corsendonk

dh0661 wrote: »

NO NO NO - spring onions are straight and scallions have a bulb.

That's it - the young plants that grow in the spring, if harvested, are called spring onions.

If they are left to grow older and have a bulb, are called scallions.

Whats happens if you grow them in summer? Are they still spring onions?

mathepac

Mellor wrote: »

I'm definite because I live in Australia. ... What you find on web pages doesn't mean a whole lot.

I have a tendency to be skeptical of "facts" issuing from colonials in the antipodes; they tend to have a rather upside-down view of the world ...

We on the other hand have a proper global perspective and know our onions. :rolleyes:

mrsdewinter

In my house, where my parents had spent many years in the UK, we called them spring onions. But in the shops down the village, I knew enough to ask for scallions.

The other food term that wrecks my head is the turnip/swede debate. Are we Irish the only nation on earth to call the large purple tuber "turnip"? Just to confuse things further, the Yanks call it rutabega, which to my ears doesn't even sound like a food...

Corsendonk

mrsdewinter wrote: »

In my house, where my parents had spent many years in the UK, we called them spring onions. But in the shops down the village, I knew enough to ask for scallions.

The other food term that wrecks my head is the turnip/swede debate. Are we Irish the only nation on earth to call the large purple tuber "turnip"? Just to confuse things further, the Yanks call it rutabega, which to my ears doesn't even sound like a food...

I come from a veg growing area of Ireland. We call them swede turnips. Using the term turnip covers every variety including the real tough varieties used for cattle feed.

rubadub

mrsdewinter wrote: »

The other food term that wrecks my head is the turnip/swede debate. Are we Irish the only nation on earth to call the large purple tuber "turnip"? Just to confuse things further, the Yanks call it rutabega,

Perhaps you would be better off with the latin names, wiki shows they are 2 different things.
rutabega (Brassica napobrassica) being a swede, and a turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapa) on its own.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnip

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga
a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip

You could say the same about "small orange colour citrus fruits", satsumas, mandarins, tangerines.

Mellor

rubadub wrote: »

Well dismiss it if you want, but I think it is very relevant if there is a 50/50 split of the usage on australian websites. I think it is strange to be so definite when there are obviously mixed opinions/usages out there.

I could use similar logic and say I go to sit down fast food places here every week and conclude that the term used in Ireland is "fries" and not chips.

I'm just telling you want is on the labels in the shops. In general the "australian" population is quite anglicised, especially towards food and drink.
But there is obviously a big immigrent population, people of irish descent will obvious be more likely to use scallion, the greeks something else etc

Actually, I can only really comment on NSW, australia is huge, but with low density and highly urbanised. So different words are used in different states, but its normally things like beers so I doubt it is the case, food are pretty universal from what I've seen. Worth mentioning though.

My reason for dismissign the website method was because a lot of the scallion links were "whats a scallion" which suggests that its an unknown term.
Plus, a lot of recipies online, via forums, or glassy mag type sites, tend to be copy and past jobs. And also, people who write recipies, tend to be a little more rounded when it comes to food and often use "foriegn terms" to convey an impression, if you follow me.

mathepac wrote: »

I have a tendency to be skeptical of "facts" issuing from colonials in the antipodes; they tend to have a rather upside-down view of the world ...

We on the other hand have a proper global perspective and know our onions. :rolleyes:

Whose this we?
You do relise that I said I live in australia, not that I was australian.

rubadub wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnip

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga
a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip

You could say the same about "small orange colour citrus fruits", satsumas, mandarins, tangerines.

Funny that example was mentioned, there is defo two varietys sold here side by side, sligtly different colour. I think one is labelled turnip and the other swede (don't eat them so never take two much notice)

mathepac

Mellor wrote: »

... Whose this we? ...

Those of us (us referring to posters in this thread) who refer to scallions by their correct name

Mellor wrote: »

... You do relise that I said I live in australia, not that I was australian...

No.

Mellor

mathepac wrote: »

Those of us (us referring to posters in this thread) who refer to scallions by their correct name

I have no idea what you think I call them?
Basically, both your posts made no sense what so ever.

newmug

janeybabe wrote: »

I call them spring onions.

Someone recently called me posh for calling them that.

They're scallions, fcukin scallions, pure and simple.

"Spring onions" IS the wannabe posh / TV3 term for them.

Its MAMMY, not mummy, its 7UP, not sprite, and its fcukin JEEP, not suv:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

the beer revolu

I think someone in this thread needs to learn to recognise sarcasm and taking the piss!:)

Corsendonk

newmug wrote: »

They're scallions, fcukin scallions, pure and simple.

"Spring onions" IS the wannabe posh / TV3 term for them.

Its MAMMY, not mummy, its 7UP, not sprite, and its fcukin JEEP, not suv:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

7up and sprite are different products..............like pepsi and coca cola as are SUV and Jeep(both american terms for different types of automobile)

Perhaps better examples of what you were trying to say

potatoes- spuds
Eraser- Rubber
Scotch Tape-sticky tape

mathepac

Corsendonk wrote: »

... as are SUV and Jeep(both american terms for different types of automobile) ...

No, Jeep is a brand name like Ford or Audi.

Spanish Eyes

I've really enjoyed reading these posts. Thanks for that.

For me scallions became spring onions when those UK celebrity chefs decided that's what they were called. And we followed. Maybe that's what they always called them over there however :rolleyes:

Anyway, does anyone know if any Irish chefs call these things scallions or what?

I have a few more rants on the way about foodie terms, so brace yourselves!!

r3nu4l

mathepac wrote: »

No, Jeep is a brand name like Ford or Audi.

True but jeep is not a brand.

Jeep

Trade name

The original trademark brand name application was filled in February 1943 by Willys-Overland.[2] It is also used as a generic term with a lowercase (jeep) for vehicles inspired by the Jeep that are suitable for use on rough terrain.[3]

As the only company that continually produced Jeep vehicles after the war, in June 1950 Willys-Overland was granted the privilege of owning the name "Jeep" as a registered trademark.[2]

On topic, I use the term scallions and spring onions interchangeably in my house as did my parents.

the beer revolu

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I have a few more rants on the way about foodie terms, so brace yourselves!!

How about calling tortillas 'wraps'.!! Grrrrrrrrr.:mad::mad:

mathepac

If by tortilla you mean the flat-bread / pancake thing then 'wrap' may be a trifle (get it? ) superfluous, but if you mean omelette then it is probably just wrong. But it all depends on where you are, geographically speaking.

Sorry just noticed your location is Cork - crubeens it is then.

Minder

I watch Australian Masterchef and see the presenters referring to eschalots. From what I can see, an eschalot is simply a shallot. Échalote is the French word for shallot. Curious that the Anglophilic Aussies use a french translation for the shallot.... probably to do with the traditions of French gastronomy in professional kitchens.

As for the preference for the term Spring Onion coming from those UK celebrity chefs - in the early years of TV cookery - when Gordon Ramsay was still a craggy faced teenager - we were introduced to the exotic world of Chinese cooking by Ken Hom; who would garnish each dish liberally with chopped Spring Onions.