Whether it's by wearing goggles, dabbing your eyes with a wet towel or giving the veg a quick rinse, preparing onions is often approached with trepidation. Now, Swiss supermarket Coop has launched a range of “tear-free” onions, to help budding chefs use the culinary necessity that fights back.
"With Sunions, the only thing you'll shed in the kitchen are tears of joy! Aromatic and delicious, they go well with any hearty dish," Sunions wrote in a statement. Now available at Coop branches across the cantons, the brand promises all the layered goodness of onions without any of the weeping.
The first batch of Sunions was cultivated in four farms across Switzerland. Speaking to 20 Minuten, farmer and onion producer Alex Hofmann explained that he first heard of “tear-free” onions on the internet five years ago. Now, he has put the onions into full production.
While many will appreciate the tear-free onions, Hofmann warned that the new luxury does come at the cost of flavour. "The enzyme that makes the onion so spicy and causes the eyes to water has been bred out." Once harvested, the onions are dried and stored so that what remains of the enzyme is gradually broken down.
Speaking to the newspaper, Richard Pohler, a professional chef from Zurich, said that regular onions don’t have anything to worry about. The Sunions "don't taste like much…This variety is fine for fried onions or onion jam, but otherwise, I prefer others. If I use onions in dishes, then I also want the typical onion aroma."
However, "If someone prefers less spiciness, the tearless onion can be a good alternative."