WASHINGTON, Jan 14 ― You know the score. Every time you start cooking, your eyes well up uncontrollably as soon as you cut into an onion. Now, you can say goodbye to stinging eyes and tears in the kitchen thanks to Sunions.

What makes us cry when we cut into an onion? This natural reaction is caused by the release of a gas which, when it comes into contact with the tear fluid in our eyes, turns into sulfuric acid. Initially, onions absorb sulfur from the soil, which is stored in the cells of the vegetable. When sliced, the molecules are released, which in turn meet enzymes, and are eventually turned into a volatile, irritant gas.

In the United States, in the states of Nevada and Washington, the Sunions brand says it has worked for three decades on developing a variety of onion that has not been genetically modified. It is natural crossbreeding that has apparently made it possible to grow and harvest these onions of a new kind. When slicing them, enzyme levels are insufficient to produce the famous gas that makes us cry. According to the company, the food is not sold immediately after harvesting. The crop has the specificity of gaining in sweetness over time, making them totally harmless to our eyes.

Already available in a selection of American and Canadian supermarkets, the British retailer Waitrose says it will start selling the product on January 18. ― ETX Studio