Assessment of bulb pungency level in different Indian cultivars of onion (Allium cepa L.)

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is an important vegetable crop consumed primarily for its ability to enhance the flavor of other foods. The quality of onion depends on its pungency. While highly pungent onions are popular in India, less pungent ones are preferred in other countries. However, the variability in pungency in bulbs of different cultivars however has not been investigated. The present investigation was therefore undertaken to determine the pungency in three popular Indian onion cultivars viz. N-2-4-1, B-780 and Phule Safed. Randomly selected bulb samples of the cultivars were analyzed for the content of pyruvic acid, total soluble solids (TSS) and reducing, non-reducing and total sugars. The red variety N-2-4-1 showed higher level of pungency, while other two varieties were comparatively less pungent. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.