Onion, The Queen of Vegetables

In traditional home-cooking, onion is rarely left out. One food critic once said that "without onions there is no cooking culture". Onion not only has a beautiful taste, it functions as an excellent medical treatment.

Chinese medicine believes onion is pungent in flavour and warms the lung channel, which can help to eliminate phlegm (too much white phlegm) and cease cough.

According to Chinese and Western research clinical trials, the results revealed onions can dilate blood vessels and promote salt metabolism, and thereby those who often consume onions can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, and prevent brain haemorrhaging or stroke. From the looks of things, eating fried food coupled with onions, not only increases the flavour but can also improve one's health.

There is one reminder: onions are pungent in flavour, and also promote a copious amount perspiration, heartburn and flatulence, which in turn can cause some discomfort.