Are green onions and scallions the same thing?

August 29, 2019 by
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When I come across a recipe that calls for scallions, I automatically substitute green onions. I’ve been under the impression that these are two different names for the same vegetable. And then there are chives, which are different but similar enough to cause confusion. So what are the differences between these three alliums? Food & Wine has the answer.

Green onion salad
Saute of green onions and radish from The Washington Post

When I saw the title of that article, I was worried for a minute that my understanding of green onions and scallions was flawed, but as it turns out, they are in fact the exact same thing. They are basically small, very young onions. We treat scallions and green onions as one and the same in the EYB Library – when you search the Library for one, you will get results for the other as well. Because scallions/green onions are known as spring onions in the UK and Canada we also link those, though we do understand spring onions mean something different in the USA and Australia (a young onion with a larger bulb at the bottom than for a scallion).

Chives, while in the same botanical family, are distinct from green onions. They have a hollow core, and their flavor is much milder than green onions. They also boast an attractive, edible flower (it makes me happy each spring to see the light purple blossoms on my chives). The allium family includes onions, chives, garlic, leeks, and ramps. Other alliums are also edible but are rarely grown other than as an ornamental plant.

Category: Antipasto

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6 Comments

  • averythingcooks  on  August 30, 2019

    But what about “spring onions”? I’ve read several different articles that explain that they are in fact distinct from scallions/green onions with pictures that support that. Opinions on whether the 2 types of allium are interchangeable seem to differ (also dependent on the actual recipe) but a quick EYB search shows recipes with “spring onion” in the title and scallions in the ingredient list. And after all of that, I’ve never seen true spring onions in my small town’s grocery stores.

  • MarciK  on  August 30, 2019

    I grow chives, but have always been confused how to grow green onions. It sounds like you just plant onions, and pull it early. I have yet to ever see ramps anywhere around me, whether a grocery store or farmer’s market, but I see a lot of recipes for them. I’ll have to research recipes for chive blossoms. I’ve never considered eating them before.

  • Jane  on  August 30, 2019

    averythingcooks – I’ve added a clarification to the post on why spring onions are linked in our database.

  • Rinshin  on  August 30, 2019

    Then there are both garlic chives which are also called nira and golden chives. Both taste different from regular chives and are used in Asian recipes. Not many use of regular chives in Asia.

    The most common allium in japan is negi. Very long and hard to find acceptable substitute. I understand negi is considered bunching onion.

  • mjes  on  August 30, 2019

    But confusion will always remain. From the Harvest to Table site “Scallions are sometimes called green onions or bunching onions, but for onion lovers and growers there is a difference. A green onion or bunching onion has gained the hint of a bulb with maturity; a scallion has not.”

  • averythingcooks  on  August 30, 2019

    Jane – thank you! Always reading / always learning 🙂

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