Japanese food maker House Foods Group have developed an onion that produce a considerable amount less of the enzymes which cause you to cry.
The Wall Street Journal reports that House food groups are the first company to effectively deal with the problem by using ion beam irradiation, which weakens the allinase enzymes.
The newly developed onions have the added benefit of leaving a lesser smell on the hands of the cook.
The company conducted a study in 2002, in which they identified the enzyme which is responsible for making you cry. They proposed the possibility of weakening the enzyme without affecting the taste of the bulb.
Engineers from the company were awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in chemistry two years ago based on this research.
There are currently no plans to produce the onions commercially, but here are a few tips that are said to reduce tears while cutting regular onions.
- Chew gum while chopping
- Cut the onion under a vent, or the cookers extractor fan.
- Freeze the onion before slicing it up.
Let us know if any of you have your own techniques for avoiding the burn and tears in the comments below.
