Shallots Nutrition facts

Shallots

Shallots or eschalots are long, slender, undergound fleshy stems in the Allium family of tunicate bulb vegetables. In general, they differ from the onions in being smaller and grow in clusters of bulbs from each plant-root system. The bulbs are characteristically less pungent than that of onions and garlic, which makes them one of the favorite ingredients in cuisine across the regions.
Botanically, it too like its fellow bulb and stem (leeks) vegetables belongs to the Alliaceae family, in the genus, Allium.
Scientific name: Allium cepa var. aggregatum.
This bulb vegetable is probably originated in the Central Asian region. Today, it is the major commercial crop on all continents, particularly in Asia and Africa.
Shallots are cool-season perennials. However, they can be grown as annual crops, just like onions. The quickest way to raise them is by implanting 'ready-made sets' that normally available from nearby nurseries.
Shallot grows quickly. It reaches about 50 cm in height and produces 1-5 cloves of bulblets just underneath the soil surface. The whole crop takes about 100 days when the bulbs are ready for harvesting. Mature bulbs are then air-dried and stored in the same manner as onions.
Like in other allium species, shallot's top greens and flower heads are also eaten in many parts of the world.