# Replacing Onions & Garlic - allergy problem



## dbdbdb

Hey,

my husband is allergic to onions and garlic and has not been able to taste their great falvour in his food for the last 3 years!

Does anyone know what I can use to replace onions and garlic in my cooking?? Preferably a vegetarian substitute since we're strict vegetarians


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## jpmcgrew

Wow! Thats a really tough one as garlic and onions are a staple in alot of cooking.


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## jkath

Is he allergic to all types of onions? If so, then chives would also be out.

You could dice radishes that have been underwatered, (not under water) as they can be quite spicy, thus subbing for the onion.

For the garlic - boy, that's a hard one. I'll have to think on that for a while.

Another thought is to use various chiles. There are so many different varieties, you may find a good match for the onions.


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## jkath

Look what I found!

"Some recipes call for coriander roots, and the roots can also be used as a *substitute for garlic*."
from this site: Beat the Chef - Cooking Tips


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## Robo410

perhaps chives or leeks have less of the problem chemical ?  WHat is the part causing the allergy? Consultant an herbalist or nutritionist.


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## ncage1974

dbdbdb said:
			
		

> Hey,
> 
> my husband is allergic to onions and garlic and has not been able to taste their great falvour in his food for the last 3 years!
> 
> Does anyone know what I can use to replace onions and garlic in my cooking?? Preferably a vegetarian substitute since we're strict vegetarians



If they are dried is he still alergic to them? How about just garlic/onion powder?


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## dbdbdb

Thanks! a lot! These are great ideas!

by coriander roots... does it just mean the stalk like things at the bottom of a bunch of coriander?

And I've never heard of underwatered raddish... where d'you get that from? 
And yes, he's allergic to all types of onion and garlic... even dried


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## Constance

I'd say you'll just have to get your flavor in different ways. You'd be surprised at how many foods taste great with just salt & pepper. Some other hints...

A squeeze of fresh lemon perks up almost any dish.
A pinch of sugar can do wonders for a lot of vegies, gravies and sauces. So does a pat of butter.
Experiment with herbs, to see what flavors you like. Parsley, rosemary, thyme, sweet basil and oregano are some good ones to start with. 
Look at things like sweet and sour and other flavorful sauces that don't have to have onions or garlic.


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## jpmcgrew

Constance has said it all. All I can think of next is ,is there a culture in the whole world that doesn't use onions and garlic? I feel really bad for your husband,Is it possible to go to a doctor and get allergy shots for this?I think you can get pretty creative in making his food more interesting like avocados with just lemon and salt and pepper.This is a really tough one and the fact he is vegetarian makes it even harder because a steak and baked potato could be quite satisfying. So are you saying you dont eat cheese either?What kind of of vegetarian are you vegan or or something else?


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## YT2095

use Asafoetida as a garlic replacement, and have you tried him on Leeks at all?
they can make a reasonable Onion sub also.

BBC - Food - Glossary - 'A'


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## Chopstix

dbdbdb said:
			
		

> by coriander roots... does it just mean the stalk like things at the bottom of a bunch of coriander?


 
Coriander (or Cilantro) root is the actual root at the base of the coriander stalk. It is white in color, though one has to first wash off all traces of soil. In Thailand it is a very common cooking ingredient, as the flavor of Coriander leaves and stems does not hold up at all when subjected to heat.  Coriander root however beautifully imparts the flavor of coriander during cooking.  

I must say though that the flavor one gets from coriander root is exactly that of coriander leaves/stems.  In no way can it be mistaken for the taste of garlic, so I'm a bit surprised about the tip on garlic substitution.


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## rask3

There is a cooking tradition which avoids both onions and garlic. Both are considered to stimulate passions, though I can't figure out how these could do that. This cuisine is followed by many Brahmins (the upper caste in India). Maybe you could google and find out more about their cooking methods.


Rask


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## Chopstix

Db,

There are lots of recipes out there that don't require onion or garlic.  My mom has a wonderful chicken dish using just ginger, sesame oil and black pepper.  Another dish, lemon chicken uses just lemons and lemon juice concentrate for flavoring.  You can do an orange chicken version too.  There's also beef with red bell peppers or green bell peppers.  You can do sweet sour sauce on pork,  chicken or fish.  Steaks are great with just S&P.  I can go on and on...

I just can't think of any substitute for garlic or onion (and all its kin) that would deliver the same flavors...!


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## Candocook

On the old Food Talk of Lynn Rosetto Kasper someone asked this and got a lot of good advice, as I recall. It is now a read only thing (having switched to THE most user unfriendly posting site on the internet). If you go to NPR.org and click on her site, you may find some things to help.


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## RPCookin

Chopstix said:
			
		

> Db,
> 
> There are lots of recipes out there that don't require onion or garlic.  My mom has a wonderful chicken dish using just ginger, sesame oil and black pepper.  Another dish, lemon chicken uses just lemons and lemon juice concentrate for flavoring.  You can do an orange chicken version too.  There's also beef with red bell peppers or green bell peppers.  You can do sweet sour sauce on pork,  chicken or fish.  Steaks are great with just S&P.  I can go on and on...
> 
> I just can't think of any substitute for garlic or onion (and all its kin) that would deliver the same flavors...!



None of those will work for a vegetarian though...   I can't imagine never being able to have either garlic or onion... I'd be looking in every imaginable direction for a cure.... but then going without meat would be even harder for me...


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## Chopstix

RPCookin said:
			
		

> None of those will work for a vegetarian though...


 
Ooops I didn't notice the poster is a strict vegetarian.  My point remains though, that there are many options for seasoning food using herbs, spices and other vegetables, just don't expect to get even nearly the same taste as garlic or onion.


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## YT2095

Asafoetida`s pretty close though, in fact when you smell it, Garlic/Onion is the 1`st things that jumps into mind.


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## evenstranger

Just out of curiosity, what kind of allergy? Digestive distress? Hives? Anaphylactic shock? Some allergies/sensitivities are manageable, others aren't. 

I have an onion sensitivity also, and avoided them for years due to the abdominal discomfort and embarrassment to myself and those around me. If this is the case with him, have you tried supplements like Beano or GasX or something similar before eating? They've helped me a bit and I'm no longer afraid of stumbling across an onion and suffering the rest of the night (along with those around me... sorry guys!).


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## YT2095

Strange and yet Fascinating!

Normaly it`s a certain type of Fiber in foods that creates flatulance, and although onions do contain a little it seems strange for Fiber to be responsible.
Hmm...
I wonder what IS responsible?

there`s certainly a lot of Sugar(s) in them, and traces of alylisothiocyanate, and Phosphorus compounds.

You`ve got me Intrigued now 
and no sorry neeeded, in My opnion anyway.


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## Robo410

well the flavors of onion and garlic won't be substituted for but lots of vegetables can help create texture and sauces etc.  celeriac (celery root) fennel bulb, are both mild lovely vegetables...saute well, go into au gratins well, give nice flavor and texture.  parsnips are sweet with a bit of a lemmony bite, saute and roast well.  And of course with lots of spices such as found in  Indian cuisine, the onion and garlic won't be missed.


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## QSis

rask3 said:
			
		

> There is a cooking tradition which avoids both onions and garlic. Both are considered to stimulate passions, though I can't figure out how these could do that. This cuisine is followed by many Brahmins (the upper caste in India). Maybe you could google and find out more about their cooking methods.
> 
> 
> Rask


 
Rask, an aside: your post led me on a very interesting search for the derivation of the term "Boston Brahmin".  

I'd always wondered what it literally meant ("the purest people"  ) and where it came from (evidently, Oliver Wendell Holmes coined the phrase in an 1860 article for "Yankee Magazine", referring to the powerful families in Boston during that era).

Another curiosity satisfied!  

Lee


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## YT2095

Paki means similar also.
which never ceases to amaze me when you see these ignorant bigoted grunts calling pakistanis "Pakis" as an Insult?

Paki means Pure.

I think if they Knew this (or cared to learn how to read) they would probably stop, until then I think it`s hilarious from an acedemic and linguistic standpoint


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## T-roy

Turnips have a bit of onion flavor going on. I've seen concentrated onion & garlic juice, if it's a fiber issue, if not it's probably the last thing he needs.


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## BreezyCooking

I too wonder if it's an actual "allergy" & not just indigestion.

While my husband does like cooked garlic, he finds onions - scallions in particular- indigestable & has a lot of trouble with them.  So while I do still use them in recipes, I cut the amount in half & make sure they are well-cooked.  This seems to eliminate the problem.


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## college_cook

It sounds like it's probably an allergy, which is why he's allergic to both onions AND garlic.  Onions and garlic are of the same family, and an allergy to one is often indicative of an allergy to the other.  She said all types of onions, so I'm assuming she's tried the milder ones as well, leeks, chives, etc.  If those produced the same reaction as garlic or regular onions then I'd say its an allergy.  If it was lesser, then it might simply be a gastrointestinal sensitivity, as a few have suggested, and it might be worth looking into managing the reaction rather than finding substitutes.  I'm fairly certain that onion/garlic is an uncommon allergy, and so you'll have a heck of a time finding good substitutes.


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## balianblue

*a sympathizer*

You poor thing, I am also allergic to onions and garlic, but with added allergies to dairy, pork, beef, mollusk, crustacean, and a whole slough of obscure fruits lol.

I generally lean a lot on basil and cumin to flavour dishes. If you wanted to contact me, I could send you some recipes. I come from a long line of people with those allergies, so I could ask around in my family for something suitable .


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## tdyson1

My mam has colitis and it triggered by anything in the onion family and we are really struggling also to find tasty food for her, she is not vegetarian but her food is really bland, even packet rice has onion powder in it so we could do with some help also 
Thanks


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## sparrowgrass

It is the sulphur in onions that causes that anti-social side effect.


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## NecrochildK

Heya, Db, I have an allergy to the onion family as well. Unfortunately for me it's pretty bad and reaches the entire onion family. I can't even have chives or onion powder in small amounts without having some pretty bad intestinal upset.
On that, I have found asafoetida powder to be an excellent substitute for the onion flavor, be careful though! It's very potent so it takes VERY LITTLE to get the flavor you need.
If I remember correctly, it's a type of fennel, but very often used in indian cooking. Finding asafoetida powder can be difficult and you may not find it in local markets, but you can track it down online.
Garlic on the other hand, I haven't found any proper substitute for yet and it was in searching for one that I found your post here.
I've come to use the asafoetida powder for onion taste along with cooked down celery for the texture in dishes I would rather have not just the flavor to.


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## Jennyfatfat

*Garlic or onion replacement*

Dear dbdbdb
It is very likely you cannot find the exact replacement for onion or garlic, however there are some Chinese herbs mainly ones in the common five spice mix 五香 you can try. I know for certain in Asia that some people use the herb Toona sinensis 香椿 to replicate the slight tast is garlic. For Asian cuisine many dishes can be done without garlic onion, all you need is some imagination, and a lot of research.alot of slow cook recipe could bring out flavour without onion or garlic, for example oden when a radish is cooked long enough it can tast sweet and savoury.There are plenty of aromatics that can create a new dimetion in the recipe you make try as many as you like and you will be pleasantly surprised on how many things taste good without garlic or onion.lastly don't be afriad to try something a little out of the box. Good luck


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