Onion 420

If you’ve ever wandered near a creek and caught a whiff of onion, congratulations—you’ve met onion weed (also known as three cornered garlic, Allium triquetrum). It doesn’t hide, flaunting its dainty white flowers. Come spring, it lines creeks and rivers like a floral runner, as if setting the stage for a magical woodland ceremony; a secret runway for forest nymphs. While pretty, the onion stench excludes them from a bouquet.

My parents wage constant war against the stuff in their garden, yanking it out, defending their 'superior' vegetable patch. I’ve tried convincing them to at least taste it—turn their destruction into dinner. But they view it as some inferior product, too lowly to grace the dinner table.

Onion weed isn’t some backyard reject. It's on the menu at places like Vue de Monde. Chefs know it’s sweeter, tastier, and just better than your average onion.

Identification Checklist

Flowers:

• Six-petaled, bell-shaped white flowers. Count the six petals.

• Each petal features a distinctive green stripe down the center.

Stem:

• Triangular in shape (hence the species name triquetrum).

• Hollow and smooth, similar to a spring onion stem.

Bulbs:

• Tiny, white, onion-like bulbs at the base.

Habitat:

• Thrives in damp areas like creeks and rivers—check out Darebin or Merri Creek. It's abundant in late winter and spring.

Smell:

• Unmistakable onion stink that gives it away even before you see it.

It's easy to cook up. The stalks can be used like spring onions—they’re perfect in savoury Chinese pancakes, as a filling for pita or gözleme, or added to tarts, quiches, omelettes, mashed potatoes, and savory scones.

The flowers go well in salads—like in a green goddess salad, potato salad, salsa, or in a chicken salad sandwich. You can use both the flowers and stems in a French onion style dip.

The bulbs are tiny and make great pickled cocktail onions, or can be used in place of regular onions. Keep in mind that if you harvest the bulbs, they won’t regrow unless you leave a few behind to maintain the patch. That said, since onion weed is an introduced weed, feel free to forage generously – it’s hard to overdo it!