Know your onions

Alas! It is a tearjerker all right. The onion strikes again! The spectacle of the world8217;s third largest supplier of onions reduced to tears...

Alas! It is a tearjerker all right. The onion strikes again! The spectacle of the world8217;s third largest supplier of onions reduced to tears without onions is an intriguing sight indeed as the lavender coloured orb climbs back into the news again. It is streets ahead of other vegetables. It no longer goes hand in hand with its root-buddy 8212; the wholesome potato. Even the tomatoes are blushing at being downgraded in the pecking order of prices.

An onion may be meant to lurk discreetly in gravies but it has aggressively plonked itself on centrestage. Not too long ago this subterranean denizen had grabbed the prime slots in the media and was the stuff of ministerial parleys and declarations 8212; not to speak of hotfoot-international trade diplomacy. A plane-load of this pungent stuff had to be airlifted from neighbouring nations to soften the blow and thicken the gravy.

Resolving this all-pervasive onion crisis becomes top political priority every once in a while. This time again restrictions have been put on its export to tide over temporary shortages. In this highly charged atmosphere, time had come for the 8216;State of the Onion8217; speeches. There was just no knowing where the this Old Faithful 8212; or rather the lack of this Old Faithful 8212; will lead us.

Perhaps we don8217;t need to be so teary-eyed about this perennial onion saga. There is a lesson crying out to be learnt here. We have to use consumer resistance as a weapon in times of scarcity. Only then will the hoarders and middle-men be prevented from making a kill. Now is the time to try some of our most delectable dishes in which onions play a secondary role or no role at all.

So the time has come to get to know your cookery onions and switch from 8216;Mutton Do Pyaza8217; to 8216;Mutton No Pyaza8217;!