Why do we tear up when cutting onions but not when eating them?

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Why do we tear up when cutting onions but not when eating them?

In: Biology

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Chef here who graduated culinary school and has 13+ years in the restaurant business. There’s a gas in the root of the vegetable that is an irritant to prevent it from being eaten. It’s kind of like how jalapenos are spicy for this reason; to prevent animals from biting into it. The chemical is released when we cut the root.

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