Royalty Free Stock Photo: Pile of onions

Plants in the genus Allium are known by the common name onion but, used without qualifiers, it usually refers to Allium cepa. Allium cepa is also known as the 'garden onion' or 'bulb' onion and 'shallot'. Onions, one of the oldest vegetables known to mankind, are found in a bewildering array of recipes and preparations, spanning almost the totality of the world's cultures.