Vegetable
Allium cepa aggregatum
S tier
Allium cepa aggregatum group covers shallots that multiply into clusters of small bulbs with copper to grey skins and finer, sweeter-onion flavour than large storage onions. French cuisine treats them as essential for sauces and vinaigrettes. Texture is layered and tender when cooked gently. Sweat into beurre blanc bases, roast whole, or pickle. Aggregatum identity separates multiplier shallots from single-bulb onions. Store dry like onions.
Track this ingredient
Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
Gentle SweatPickleRoast WholeSauce BaseVinaigrette
Traits
Aggregatum GroupCluster BulbsCluster MultiplierCopper Skin TypesFine Sweet OnionSauce EssentialSpecies GroupSweet Mild Onion
History
IR
Near Eastern alliums related to shallots entered early agriculture.
FR
French gardens and kitchens refined shallot use in sauces.
FR
Classic French mother sauces and reductions relied on shallots.
Global fine dining kept A. cepa aggregatum shallots premium alliums.