Also known as scallions or green onions, spring onions are in fact very young onions, harvested before the bulb has had a chance to swell. Both the long, slender green tops and the small white bulb are edible, and are good either raw or cooked. They have a similar flavour to onions, but are much milder.

Spring onions contain allicin, which may keep you from overeating by stimulating satiety in the brain. They are also a good source of dietary fibre.

Spring onions are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamins A and B6, thiamine, folate and minerals (potassium, copper, chromium, manganese, iron) and calcium.

It's best to keep spring onions in the refrigerator. They contain more moisture than mature onions, so keeping them out at room temperature for longer than a couple of days could cause them to mold.