Potato onions come in various shapes, sizes and colours, but all are bunching (multiplying) onions that are best grown from bulb divisions each year rather than seed. Larger than shallots with a more intense flavour, they are stars of the culinary world and an onion that was the mainstay of many European cultures. Its history is confusing, but most agree that it comes from Nordic origins, as described by Linnaeus in 1734. Highly productive, bulbs are usually planted in autumn or spring. Use similarly to shallots but expect a more flavourful result.