Introducing the Smile Ball… an onion that DOESN’T make you cry
Japanese scientists have produced onions that do not make eyes water when chopped, and sales of 180 tons are expected this year.
Researchers spent 20 years creating an onion known as Smile Ball that doesn’t smell like regular onions and is much sweeter.
Onions grown on the northern island of Hokkaido are growing in popularity; It was first developed in 2012, then hit shelves in Japan in 2015.
A Japanese team led by Dr Shinsuke Imai identified for the first time the previously undiscovered enzyme that causes eyes to water when cutting onions and published the findings in the British science journal Nature in 2002.
Enzymes released when cutting onions create a volatile gas that reacts with the eye’s natural moisture to form a mild sulfuric acid.
The body then creates tears to flush out the irritant.
Dr Shinsuke’s team then grew a vegetable that resembles onions in both appearance and taste but does not produce acid in the human eye.
Creation won The 2013 Ig Nobel Prize is a parody of the Nobel, a satirical award honoring strange scientific achievements.
Experts explain why you should never put your onions in the fridge, saying you may be storing them wrong (stock image)
Noriya Masamura of House Foods Group, which is at the forefront of non-pungent onion research, said: mainichi newspaper:’Roughly chop them into pieces about five to seven millimeters thick, mix with some salt, dried herbs and olive oil, you will taste their sweetness and they will pair perfectly with white wine.’
Smile Ball, which costs around 70p for a large bulb, is different from US-grown Suniuon, which also claims to reduce tears when cutting onions.
Sold for £1.60 a pack of three at Waitrose, Sunions were created through natural crossbreeding and are the product of over three decades of farming, research and development.
Onion farmer Tamotsu Nishino, 43, who has been producing Smile Ball onions in Kuriyama since 2015, added: ‘It is encouraging to hear consumers say they want to buy them again or want more.
‘Masamura and his team provide detailed data and advice on growing conditions, which has expanded my knowledge.’
Onions are one of the most consumed vegetables in Britain, with the average adult consuming around 65 onions a year.
