. The beloved members of the allium genus evolved noxious fumes — the result of a complex chemical reaction — to ward off pests. Evolution didn't account for how good onions taste when they're roasted, sautéed, or deep-fried, though.
Humans don't care. We eat them anyway. That said, we're not immune to the plant's defenses.
Many cooks use onions daily, but cutting them is still a frustrating, even painful, ordeal. Scientists are working on developing a fume-free onion, but for now, we're stuck with hacks and folk remedies. Many have been around for hundreds of years.
Some are based on science, others seem more like superstition. One of the odder hacks involves holding a piece of bread in your mouth while you work. While the suggestion sounds like superstition, some people rave about it.
Others claim it's bunk. Bloggers, influencers, and message board commenters are pretty evenly split. But sometimes just , so I had to put it to the test.
Does putting bread in your mouth while chopping onions work? The only onions I had were sweet yellow onions. They're not very pungent, but still strong enough to make me misty. I grabbed a knife, stuffed a hunk of stale baguette in my mouth, and got to work.
It might've been my imagination, but I think the bread helped a bit. My eyes prickled but didn't water. The bread got pretty wet, though: it was hard to keep from drooling.
Halfway through, I took the bread out and started on the second half to compare. I started to tear up. Admitte.
