Difference between leeks, leeks & onions?

Is there a difference between leeks and leeks? And are onions and shallots the same thing? We answer your questions about the various bulbous plants.

The large family of bulbous plants (Allioideae), also known as the leek family, can be a bit confusing. If then several dozen synonyms for one and the same onion come into play, you quickly lose the overview. With a few simple tricks, however, onions, leeks & Co can be easily distinguished from one another.

1. Are leeks and leeks the same?

With leeks or leeks (Allium porrum) means one and the same plant. For a long time, only the term "leek" was common in German-speaking countries. The term "leek" was only used in German-speaking Switzerland and in parts of Hesse, Baden-Württemberg and Saarland. Since the 1970s, however, the name "Lauch" has become more and more popular throughout the German-speaking world, and both names are used commercially today.

2. What is the difference between leeks and onions?

Although both belong to the family of Allioideae belong, it is easy to leek and onions (Allium cepa) to distinguish. Whether you say leeks or leeks at home, what is meant is something similar to spring onions Vegetables that do not form a thick bulb but have characteristic flat and long leaves. They are white below and turn dark green towards the top.

Onions are the only leeks that form an underground storage tuber. This and all known onions are white with a brown skin. The leaves are tubular and also green. While we mainly eat the subterranean part of the onion, the entire plant is used with the leek.

Differences between leeks and onions:

leek	onion
No thickened onion	Typical thickened onion
Stores energy in the leaves	Underground storage organ
flattened leaves	tubular leaves
Whole plant is used in cooking	Usually only the onion is used

3. Is there a difference between onions and spring onions?

In the spring onion (Allium fistulosum) and the normal onion are two different plants. Although the rumor persists that spring onions are simply onions that have been harvested too early, this is not true. The spring onion, also called spring onion or winter onion, is not able to form a rounded, thickened onion. It only carries a cylindrical, thickened shaft. The whole plant of the spring onion can also be eaten.

Typical characteristics of spring onions:

• Thinner and smaller than onions
• milder taste
• No rounded, thickened onion, but a cylindrical, thickened shaft

4. What is the difference between onions and shallots?

Another acquaintance from the leek family is the shallot (Allium cepa var. aggregate). Shallots are very similar to onions and are not a separate species in the allium family. The plant, which comes from Asia, is characterized by a milder taste than normal onions. Other distinguishing features of the shallot are its pink skin, its typical elongated shape and the fact that these bulbs often grow as twins.

How do I tell shallots from onions? Characteristics of shallots:

• Milder taste than onions
• pink shell
• Longer shape
• Often in two parts

Of course, when we talk about onion plants, one thing should not be missing: garlic (Allium sativum). You can read all about the aromatic plant in our expert article on garlic read.