Anyone who has ever cut onions knows what happens – our eyes start to water, we cry! But why is this actually so? As long as the onion is lying uncut on the kitchen board, there is neither the taste factor nor the tear factor. However, as soon as it is cut, substances escape from the cells of the onion, from which a gas is formed that rises into the eyes. Each cell of an onion contains two compounds. In the outer layer of the cell, it is a sulfur-containing amino acid, iso-alliin, and inside the cell is the enzyme alliinase. When the onion is cut, the two substances come into contact and the enzyme splits the amino acid into individual parts. This produces the irritant substance that triggers tears. When it gets into the eyes, it immediately stimulates the flow of tears to wash the substance back out of the eyes.
What can be done to remedy the situation?
- Cut the onion while sitting. Since the scent of onion rises vertically, you do not cry while sitting.
- Dip the peeled onion in cold water, cut in half, put the cut side on the board and cut both halves lengthwise into slices first starting from the top and then crosswise into cubes.
Against the smell of onions on hands and kitchen boards, protect yourself by rinsing everything that comes into contact with the bulb – hands, knife, board – before and after cutting onions cold. And against the onion smell in the mouth, it is best to eat some parsley.
What good are the “spicy” ingredients?
The “pungent” ingredients of the onion have a biological reason: they were a protection of the onion against hungry attackers such as rats or voles, according to the theory of scientists. The onion is also used therapeutically against colds and fevers. Its medicinal properties come into play here: it has antibacterial, germicidal, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and analgesic effects.
