Japanese scientists have put an end to two millennia of chefs' suffering before hot onions by creating a type of onion that does not cause tears. According to the Japanese newspaper "Mainichi", this onion variety, named "Smileball", is grown in the northern island of Hokkaido, and its popularity is growing, with 180 tons expected to be sold this year. Its farmers confirm that after centuries of being used as a secondary ingredient alongside other milder components, onion has now become a staple in Japanese cuisine. Noryo Masamune of House Foods Group, a leading company in non-irritating onion research for two decades, says: "Cut the onion into thick pieces, about five to seven millimeters, mix with a little salt, dried herbs, and olive oil, and you will taste its sweetness." Many chefs have resorted to their own tricks to avoid the eye-watering effect of onions, such as placing the onion in a bowl of water, freezing it, or cutting it with a piece of bread in their mouth. Tears are the body's way of getting rid of this irritating substance. In a research paper published in the journal Nature in 2002, a Japanese team led by Dr. Shinsuke Imai discovered a previously unknown enzyme responsible for starting this process, and then developed a "tearless" vegetable that resembles onion in shape, taste, and nutritional value but does not produce acid in the human eye. Imai's discovery was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in 2013, a satirical prize given for funny and unintended discoveries. It was developed by exposing onions to heavy ion radiation to produce genetic mutations, which led to the near-elimination of all tear-causing factors. The credit for the creation of "Smileball" goes to the discovery of the substance in onions that causes tears. It has long been known that cutting onions releases enzymes that produce a volatile gas. This gas reacts with the natural moisture in the eye, forming a mild sulfuric acid.
