The same or different?

     I read with interest the response to a question posed to the writers of Cuisine Notes in the most recent issue of Cuisine at home magazine.  Eleanor Neve of San Francisco asked, "Are scallions and green onions the same?"  Here is what was written:

     Answer:  Yes and no.  Scallion is both a distinct variety of onion as well as the group name for many members of the onion family.  This includes (true) scallions themselves, green onions (or immature onions), young leeks, welsh onions, and sometimes the tops of young shallots.  All scallions have long, straight, green leaves with white bases, which have the most pronounced flavor.  Both parts are edible.

     You can identify a true scallion from the others by its white base (the part that would develop into a bulb), which is straighter.  Green onions (and others) have slightly curved white bases, showing the beginnings of a bulb.

     True scallions are younger than, and a bit milder than green onions.  But all members of the scallion family can be used interchangeably.  Available year-round, scallions are at their peak during spring and summer.