Know Your Onions

By: Jasodhara Banerjee/Forbes India

Rising prices are threatening to put onions in the realm of the exotic; but the myths about them, and their medicinal benefits, have given them a place in the sun1. The onion is probably one of the oldest vegetables that man consumed and has been traced back to about 5000 BC. In the land of the Pharaohs, the dead were buried along with onions as the Egyptians believed it would help bring breath back to the mummies. Onions
also feature in the paintings
inside pyramids.

2. In ancient Greece and Rome, gladiators would rub themselves down with onions to firm their muscles. Whether this was to keep the lions at bay or a marinade is unclear.

3. In modern times, onions are the subject of various myths.