Japanese onion
Allium thunbergii

Family: Amaryllidaceae

What it is like

An onion family plant. It is a bulb plant. The bulbs are usually single but occasionally in pairs. They are oval and 1-2 cm across. The outer covering is white or black brown. The leaves are linear. They are 2-4 mm wide and 3 angled. The scape is 25-40 cm long. It is covered with leaf sheaths for 1/4 of their length. The flower head has many loose flowers.

There are about 300-700 Allium species. Most species of Allium are edible (Flora of China). All alliums are edible but they may not all be worth eating! They have also been put in the family Alliaceae.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in forest margins and slopes from near sea level to 1300 m altitude in N China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan

How it is used for food

Young plants are leaves are eaten raw. They are also used in soups and used as a pot herb. The bulbs are pickled.

Edible parts

Flowers, leaves, root, bulb

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Dallaeng-i, Qiu xu xie, Yama-rakkyo

Synonyms

Allium odorum Thunb. (1784) not L. (1767); Allium bakeri Regel var. morisonese (Hayata)tang S Liu & S.S.Ying; Allium japonicum Regel; Allium morrisonense Hayata; Allium taquetii H.Leveille;