Instead, it derives from a near-obsolete botanical use of "Welsh" in the sense "foreign, non-native", as the species is native to China, though cultivated in many places and naturalized in scattered locations throughout Eurasia and North America.

[11] In the West, A. fistulosum is primarily used as a scallion or salad onion, but is more widely used in other parts of the world, particularly East Asia.

The Japanese name is negi (葱), which can also refer to other plants of the genus Allium, or more specifically naganegi (長葱), meaning "long onion".

Common onions were introduced to East Asia in the 19th century, but A. fistulosum remains more popular and widespread.

[12] It is used in miso soup, negimaki (beef and scallion rolls),[13] among other dishes, and it is in wide use as a sliced garnish, such as on teriyaki or takoyaki.

[citation needed] Known as escallion,[14] A. fistulosum is an ingredient in Jamaican cuisine, in combination with thyme, Scotch bonnet pepper, garlic, and allspice (called pimento).

[citation needed] The Jamaican name is probably a variant of scallion, the term used loosely for the spring onion and various other plants in the genus Allium.