Shallot
Allium cepa var. aggregatum
An aggregating onion that makes clusters of bulbs with a finer, garlic-leaning flavor. Plant one, harvest a handful. Not a multiplier garlic.
GROW → HARVEST → EAT → DRY → POWDER → CAPSULE → GUMMY — forms are not equivalent. Food first.
Identity
What it is
An aggregating onion that makes clusters of bulbs with a finer, garlic-leaning flavor. Plant one, harvest a handful. Not a multiplier garlic.
Edible portions
- bulbs
- greens
Absence of a portion from this list means it is not treated as food here — not that every other part is toxic.
Growing
- Climate. Similar to onion; often planted in fall
- Light. Full sun
- Soil. Rich, well-drained
- Planting. Individual cloves/bulbs point up.
- Harvest. When tops die; cure like onions.
Preparation and culinary uses
- Vinaigrettes, fine sauces
Next steps
Sources
- USDA PLANTS Database — taxonomy and range (verify current entries)
- No USDA FoodData Central nutrient profile is attached here. That is not a claim that the plant contains no nutrients.
- State cooperative extension growing guides — verify for your region
Honest incompleteness is preferred to fabricated completeness. If a section is missing, no record for it is attached here — not a claim that the plant lacks that characteristic, and not that it was omitted as a secret.
Internal quality class B. Good foundation: enough unique information to exist as its own destination.