One of my holiday guests is allergic to onions. What else can I use to add onion flavor?

in stead of onions try chives or ramson ( it is on vogue in Germany at the moment, for it helps against arteriosklerosis).

Greetings from Hamburg, Germany

Heinz

Beyond the obvious choice of making a bowl just for that guest that has no onions -- I think you're trying to not so much make him feel excluded and make the dish feel like onions are an add-in, not an exclusion, so I respect your etiquette here.

So it's a hard one. Yeah, you can't really use any of the bulb foods, since the guest is probably allergic to them all.

What you're looking to replace is that astringent and bitter taste with something similar. The obvious choice is shallots, but that's no guarantee against allergies, although it's usually tolerated well by onion allergics.

Other than that, a small amount of vinegar for bitter, cayenne for heat, and arugula or tarragon, even sage for astringent.

Hope this helps... :)

My husband and older son just gag as soon as they bite on onions!

So I vary my recipes to omit onions. Food can be still tasty without onions but they can handle onion powder if it is absolutely necessary.

You must find out if it is just the TASTE that causes the person who is allergic to onions feel sick or is that person really allergic and would break out in rash or suffocate.....whatever the outcome if the person eats onions. If it's just the TASTE that makes the person gag (like the 2 in my home), then you could consider onion powder. But if it would hurt that person, then it is better to sacrifice the taste of it . You care for your guest more than how your food tastes I hope. When someone is invited to your home, you want the guest to enjoy. You don't want them to feel sick. To be a good hostess, you need to consider your guest first.

Onion family... so that eliminates onions, garlic, chives, shallots and leeks.

I suggest setting aside a smaller portion of the dish without onions. We do that for a family who will not eat anything with onions. For example, macaroni salad - we add everything but the onions, set a portion aside and add the onions to the larger remaining portion for everyone else.

Use garlic powder, fresh herbs and other seasonings (like Mrs. Dash- make sure it doesn't contain onion powder)!

To give your food additional taste. Fresh herbs (not the dry stuff) can work wonders on food and improving taste.

If your guest is allergic to onions, he/she is probably used to blander food, so don't worry about it. Just use your separate bowl method for the rest of the people.

Please! You have to find out from the guest if they are allergic to anything else from the onion family. Don't take a chance with someone's health, or even life.