It’s been a big month for onions, with new shipping regions starting up and crops growing in other areas. Add to that the excitement surrounding not one but two onion-centric holidays, and you’ll hit a fever pitch.
We’re reporting each week on New Mexico and California, with Walla Walla coming on and the Northwest watching its crops grow. Other areas are also in thier growing season, and we’ll continue to update weekly
And OnionBusiness certainly joins the celebrations surrounding onions’ two holidays this month, with National Onion Ring Day on June 22 and National Onion Day on June 27.
Each event has its own reason to celebrate. National Onion Day’s history, which you can read in its entirety at https://nationaltoday.com/national-onion-day/ , is actually a commemoration of the incorporation of the National Onion Association in 1913 in Ohio. Observing its 109th anniversary on June 27, the National Onion Association today represents over 500 onion producers,
The history of onion rings, however, is a little less documented. In fact, according to The Untold Truth of Onion Rings published Feb. 24 at https://www.mashed.com/326050/the-untold-truth-of-onion-rings/, there are multiple accounts of onion rings in the cooking histories of more than a few cultures and countries. The story does assure readers, though, that regardless of “where or when they came from, we can at least agree that a well-made onion ring is a gastronomic triumph, and we should be thankful for them.” Agreed.
Rings might have come from the Brits, with an 1802 cookbook called “The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined” providing instructions for “fried onions with Parmezan [sic] cheese.” But there’s also a much older recipe, Indian in origin, for pakora, a batter frying method for vegetables that dates back to at least the 16th century. And pakora opened the door for tempura, another deep-frying technique.
Here stateside onion rings started showing up in the early 19th century, with several states laying claim to the delectable kitchen invention.
“French fried onions” were a 1908 recipe by Fannie M. Farmer in the Fort Wayne Sentinel, and in 1910 “a recipe in the New York Sun calls French fried onions ‘a novelty that progressive New York restaurants are introducing with great appreciation from their patrons.’” And in 1921 Texas-based Pig Stand opened, a place that has “been hailed in various publications as the birthplace of the onion ring, according to The History Channel.”
Wherever they were birthed here in the United States, onion rings have been hailed as one of the most popular foodie items of all time, even in those dark days of the Great Depression. We can, according to the mashed.com story, thank Crisco for at least some of that popularity. The story says, “The appeal of Crisco and onion rings during the Great Depression may have something to do with what’s left unsaid in the ad as well. It was derived from the relatively cheap cottonseed oil (one of the reasons people eventually stopped buying Crisco), which made it a much more budget-friendly purchase than butter or lard; the fact that it was vegetable-based (albeit using the term ‘vegetable’ very loosely) was an added bonus. Onions were also an affordable ingredient and often used as an inexpensive way to bulk up a meal. And onion rings sound far more palatable than another delicacy at the time: peanut butter-stuffed onions.” Again, agreed.
There’s a nifty June 22 story at https://www.distractify.com/p/national-onion-ring-day-tiktok-hacks that provides a bunch of cool hacks and recipes to celebrate National Onion Ring Day, including a tip on how to prevent the onion from separating from the breading (requires freezing and defrosting the onion rings first), beer batter frying, healthy bake alternatives to frying and something a “TikTok user and ‘gold prospecting nomad’ @justgowild is truly living his best van life off the grid” calls the camping experience that includes the craving for “onion rings like they have at the fair.”
Using pancake/waffle mix, “Make the batter just like the instructions say for waffles,” the nomad says. And then fry them in a pan on the stove. The hack story says, “He’s truly inspiring us to pack up a bindle (or a more progressive version of one, anyway) and embark on a new life in the woods — with waffle-battered onion rings, of course.”
Then we are giving the “hackiest hack of them all” that calls for a waffle maker. “Grab some shredded mozzarella, cover the bottom half of your waffle iron, then add your thinly sliced onions. Then you’re going to add a little salt and garlic powder. Top with more mozzarella, close up your waffle iron, and let it cook for four to five minutes. You judge how crispy you want it. In the end, you’re not exactly left with onion rings (don’t throw tomatoes at us! we swear they’re delicious!), but rather a cheesy, oniony waffle sent from heaven.”
Not coincidentally, we’re left to think, did National Onion Ring Day fall on the same date as this all-important holiday, National Kissing Day. You can read all about it at https://983try.iheart.com/featured/jaime-in-the-morning/content/2022-06-22-pick-me-up-its-national-kissing-dayand-national-onion-ring-day/ and decide for yourselves, of course.
“National Kissing Day is all about showing your love AND improving your health,” the story starts. “It’s true. Kissing is fun and it’s actually good for you!”
We’re reminded that kissing “can help relieve stress, burn calories and it helps with your immunity.” Someone alert the CDC! “So pucker up and kiss someone today, but only if that someone wants to be kissed!!,” it stresses, adding, “Oh and it’s also National Onion Ring Day. Interesting that these two things are celebrated on the same day.” The author concludes, “My advice…. eat the onion rings AFTER you celebrate all the kissing!!”
