Green scallions, also called green onions or spring onions, are the whole young shoots of an onion plant (commonly Allium fistulosum) harvested before a bulb forms, eaten stem to tip rather than dried and cured. They are native to East Asia and have long been essential to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cooking, though they're now grown and used worldwide.
Scallions have a mild, sweet onion flavor, milder than a mature onion, and can be used raw, sautéed, or grilled. They're indispensable in Chinese stir-fries and dipping sauces, Japanese dishes like yakitori and miso soup, and Korean kimchi and bulgogi, and also appear in Mexican, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cooking, from tacos to pesto to kebabs.
They pair well with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili, and citrus, and are commonly used raw as a garnish or finely sliced into finished dishes.