Alliums often act as a cornerstone in culinary flavor cliques such as sofrito, mirepoix and Cantonese aromatics, revealing the significant importance these ingredients have at establishing strong flavor foundations. 

Onions are a building block when cooking in any area of the world and garlic can be added generously as the signature of a dish or used as an accent in a more complex flavor profile. Both can be cooked, serving as the base flavor in marinades, soups and sauces, or raw in dressings, dips and seasonings.