White onions

The first thing in the pan in half the world's recipes.

What to do with it

Classics built on it

MexicanGuacamoleRipe avocado crushed with lime, onion, green chilli, coriander and salt — rough, fresh and made just before eating.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Brown / yellow: The all-rounder; sweetens as it browns.
Red: Milder — good raw.
White: Sharp and clean.

Knowing it

Where to buy: Anywhere. Firm, with dry, papery skins.
Worth knowing: Properly browned takes 30 minutes or more on low heat, not ten.

Kitchens that keep it in

MexicoMexicanMaize, chillies and fire: a cooking thousands of years deep, built on nixtamalised corn, a whole spectrum of dried chillies, and salsas at every meal.11 classics