White Onion
Australia
A sharper and more pungent flavour than the yellow or brown variety, white onions tend to be more tender and have a thinner, more papery skin.
Yellow Onion
USA, Australia
Also known as brown onion, this all-purpose onion has a nice balance of astringency and becomes sweeter the longer they cook. They are usually fist-sized with a fairly tough outer skin and meaty layers. Varieties include colossal and cream gold.
Cipollini Onion
Australia, Europe
The sweet variety, cipollini lacks the sharp, astringent taste of other onions and is distinctively sweet. They can range in colour from white to yellow and often have a flattened or squashed appearance.
Pearl Onion
Australia
Known as button or baby onions, this mini variety comes in yellow, red and white varieties, with white being the most common. They are much milder and sweeter than large bulb onions.
Red Onion
Australia
Fairly similar to yellow onions in flavour, though their layers are slightly less tender and meaty, red onions are pungent and spicy when raw but sweeter, when cooked. Their vibrant colour gets washed out during the cooking process.
Shallot
Australia
The flavour of a shallot is more delicate, softer, and less abrasive than that of an onion but is also a bit deeper with notes of garlic. Like garlic, they grow in clusters, with several bulbs attached at the base.
Leek
Australia
Larger in size than their spring counterparts, the white portions of leeks are tender and sweet, but their dark green tops are woody. Both parts offer a pronounced sweetness with an extremely mild pungent onion flavour.
