History of Shallot

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History & Background of the Shallot History o Shallots belong to the class of plants known as Liliaceae or Lillies which has more than 500 sub species. Other family members include tulips, hyacinths, aloe vera and asparagus. o Further down the family tree, Shallots are from the allium genus, part of the Alliaceae family, as are onions, garlic, leeks and chives. o Documentation on the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Hebrews (cited in the Bible's chapter of Numbers 11:5 ) shows that alliums have been cultivated for between 4,000 and 5,000 years. o The ancient Greeks gave shallots their name when their traders discovered them in the ancient Palestinian port of Ashkalon (now Ashkelon in Israel) and named them after the city. o Shallots were first introduced to Europe by the crusaders returning from the Middle East in the 11th century o The word shallot comes from the Old French escalogne from the Latin Ascalonia caepa (onion of Ascalon). o The Latin name for shallot is Allium cepa aggregatum and is also known as Allium ascalonicum which refers to the vegetable’s origins in Ashkalon in the Middle East. Other Uses o The plant also has plenty of non culinary uses. o Shallots, onions, garlic and aloe vera were used by the ancient Egyptians as important medicinal remedies. o Shallot or onion juice rubbed into the scalp is allegedly a remedy for baldness. It is also used as a cosmetic to get rid of freckles, as a cold remedy, for pain relief and as a mild diuretic. o The juice of the plant can be used as an insect repellent, as a rust preventative on metals and as a polish for copper and glass. o When the plant is growing it is said to repel insects and moles. A spray made by pouring enough boiling water to cover 1kg of chopped unpeeled onions is said to increase the resistance of other plants to diseases and

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