Shallots are typically milder in taste and subsequently sweeter than onion. They’re the perfect ingredient when a lighter touch is required, for example in vinaigrettes or sliced raw into green salads. Onions hold their flavour better when they’re fried at high temperatures or slow cooked into stews. When they grow, shallots are sometimes distinctive for growing in bunches of a few smaller bulbs whereas onions are typically single bulbs.