Five varieties. Five moods. One very good reason to pay attention.

There is something wonderfully unglamorous about an onion. It isn't usually the ingredient that catches your eye at the market. It doesn't have the drama of a beautiful piece of fish or the richness of a good steak. And yet, so much good cooking begins with one.

But one of the things we've learnt from cooking with good produce is that not every onion belongs in the same pan. Some are naturally sweet. Some have bite. Some disappear into a sauce. Others are better kept raw, where their crispness and freshness can do the talking.

So rather than thinking of onions as something you simply "add", we like to think of them as part of the architecture of a dish.

Here are five we keep coming back to.

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When you want sweetness: Pearl Onion

Pearl onions are small, but they have a lovely depth once cooked. Their natural sweetness makes them especially good for dishes where you have time to let the ingredients develop slowly.

We like them roasted alongside meat, tucked into a braise or cooked gently until golden and glossy. They are particularly beautiful with beef, where their sweetness gives a little contrast to the savoury richness of the meat.

Try roasting them with: Pearl onions + olive oil + thyme + sea salt + Cape Grim Beef

You don't need much else. The onion becomes soft and caramelised around the edges, while the beef brings the richness.

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When you want something elegant: Banana Shallot

A banana shallot is one of those ingredients that can make a very simple dish feel considered. Its flavour is delicate and aromatic, with a natural sweetness that becomes even more pronounced when cooked slowly.

This is one of our favourites for fish. Slice it finely and soften it in butter or olive oil before adding your fish. Or roast them in whole  until golden and serve with a beautifully roasted salmon side.

It works particularly well with richer fish because the gentle sweetness complements rather than competes.

Our favourite combination? Salmon + banana shallot + lemon + dill.

Simple enough for a Tuesday night. Good enough for dinner with friends.

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When you want freshness: Spanish Purple Onion

Some dishes need sweetness. Others need a little bit of attitude. Spanish Purple Onion brings that. Its crisp texture and more pronounced flavour make it particularly good when used raw or lightly pickled.

We love it with seafood because it brings contrast to the plate.

Think: Grilled prawns + Spanish Purple Onion + avocado + lime

Or thinly sliced over a piece of grilled fish with fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. The onion isn't there to overpower the seafood, it's there to wake it up.

And when you pickle it, something rather lovely happens. The sharpness softens, the texture remains crisp and the beautiful purple colour becomes even more vibrant.

Keep a jar in the fridge and suddenly a very ordinary lunch can feel much more interesting.

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When you want depth: Yellow Onion

Yellow onion is the workhorse. It's the onion we reach for when we're building flavour from the beginning.

It belongs in stocks, sauces, soups, stews and slow-cooked dishes because it has enough character to withstand heat and enough sweetness to become beautifully rounded over time.

And this is where patience matters. A yellow onion cooked for five minutes and a yellow onion cooked slowly for forty minutes are almost two different ingredients. The first is savoury and aromatic. The second becomes soft, sweet and deeply caramelised. That is why we love it as the foundation for slow-cooked beef, chicken, seafood stews and rich sauces.

If you're making something that needs to taste as though it has been cooking all afternoon, start with a yellow onion. Even if you haven't actually been cooking all afternoon.

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When you want clean and crisp: Holland White Onion

There are times when you don't want a deep, caramelised onion flavour. You want something bright. Something clean. Something with a little crunch. That's where Holland White Onion comes in. It's particularly lovely in fresh preparations, where its crisp texture can really shine.

We use it in salads, salsas and fresh toppings, especially alongside seafood. Try finely chopping it with tomato, lime, coriander and a little sea salt. Spoon that over grilled fish. Or toss it through avocado and fresh herbs for something very simple on a warm Singapore afternoon.

It's the kind of food we love when the weather is doing what Singapore weather does best — making the idea of standing over a hot stove for an hour slightly less appealing.

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Pairing Onions With Fish

This is where choosing the right onion becomes particularly interesting. Fish tends to have a more delicate flavour than meat, so the onion shouldn't necessarily dominate it.

For delicate white fish, we like a mild onion or banana shallot. Cooked gently with butter, lemon and herbs, they create a subtle base without masking the fish.

For richer fish like salmon, caramelised banana shallot or thinly sliced Spanish Purple Onion gives you two very different directions — sweetness and depth on one hand, freshness and acidity on the other.

For prawns and shellfish, Holland White Onion works beautifully with lime, herbs and fresh chilli.

And for roasted or grilled fish, a simple Spanish Purple Onion salad can bring exactly the freshness and crunch the dish needs.

The idea isn't to cover up the flavour of the fish. It's to give it somewhere to go.

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So, Which Onion Should You Choose?

Think about what you want the onion to do.