Do you know which ingredient you find in almost every kitchen in the world?

The answer is surprisingly simple: the onion.

From Italian pastas to Thai curries, from French soups to Mexican salsas, and even in many dishes from Dutch cuisine, the onion plays a leading role. Worldwide, the onion has been used for thousands of years as a flavor enhancer and base for countless dishes.

Why the onion? Because it is incredibly versatile. Raw, it provides spice and freshness, while when fried or caramelized, it becomes sweet and full of flavor. Moreover, the onion grows in almost every climate and is easy to store.

Although every cuisine has its own ingredients, herbs, and traditions, the onion often literally forms the base upon which flavors are built. In France, they start with mirepoix, in Italy with soffritto, and in many Asian cuisines, onion together with garlic and ginger forms the starting point of a dish.

Perhaps that is the beauty of cooking: recipes, techniques, and flavors differ worldwide, but sometimes we have more in common than we think. And that surprisingly often begins with a simple onion.