The variety has been stripped of some of its pungency². While the flavor is weaker, less of the scent³ wafts⁴ to the nose during chopping.

 

As a result, the irritant in onions, sulphur, is less likely to make the eyes water.

 

Lower levels of pungency also result in less of the taste lingering after eating, according to Asda, which will stock the new variety from the weekend.

 

The Asda Sweet Red took more than 20 years to create, according to farmer Alastair Findlay of Bedfordshire Growers.

 

He tasted 400 to 500 bulbs each season to find the right combinations to reduce the traditional effects.

 

Asda will stock 40 tons of the sweet at a selection of its stores this weekend.

 

Andy Wareham, a vegetable buyer for Asda, said the onions are "milder, tastier and crunchier" than regular red onions.

 

"They don't harbor any bitterness that is sometimes associated with extremely pungent⁵ red onions," he said.

 

The sweet onions have been designed for salads or garnishes⁶ and are said to make a suitable accompaniment to mature cheddar.

 

Red onions were first grown in the UK in the early Nineties but now account for 20 percent of onion sales, Mr Wareham added.

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