Scallions have a milder taste than most onions. Although the bulbs of many Allium species are used as food, the defining characteristic of spring onion species is that they scallions a fully developed bulb.
Allium species referred to as spring onions have hollow, tubular green leaves growing directly from the bulb. The leaves are often chopped into other dishes, in the manner of onions or garlic. This name, in turn, seems to originate from the name of the ancient Canaan city of Ashkelon. The plant itself came from further east of Europe.
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Most of the cultivars grown in the West primarily as scallions belong to this variety. West almost exclusively as a scallion or salad onion, although in Asia this species is of primary importance and used both fresh and cooked. Commonly, scallions take 7-14 days to germinate depending on the variety.
Scallions may be cooked or used raw as a part of salads, salsas or Asian recipes. Diced scallions are used in soup, noodle and seafood dishes, sandwiches, curries and as part of a stir fry. In Mexico and the Southwest United States, cebollitas are scallions that are sprinkled with salt, grilled whole and eaten with cheese and rice. Topped with lime juice, they are typically served as a traditional accompaniment to asado dishes.