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To facilitate the selection of a palatable and functional food, eight green onions grown under either cool-white fluorescent lamps (CWF) or high pressure sodium lamps (HPS) were compared for their pungency, tissue nitrate and sulfate status. The effect of lighting intensity and atmospheric CO2 levels on pungency of a selected cultivar was also investigated. Results demonstrate that there was a difference in pungency not only among cultivars, but also between tissue types and developmental stages. The pungency was inversely correlated with nitrate level in tissue, and light quality had profound impact on tissue nitrate level. Pungency in the pseudobulb and leaf of green onion responded differently to increased light intensity and elevated CO2. The effect could be mostly explained by the relative accumulation rates of the flavor precursors and biomass.