Onions have a layered history worth recognizing. This timeless ingredient has been valued worldwide for centuries, with countless uses and varieties. Here’s some vegetable history to chew on!

Onions Across Borders: A Unifying Ingredient

Onions have been valued across cultures for centuries as an essential cooking ingredient. This ancient food source was recognized as early as 5,000 to 7,000 years ago in Central Asia, all the way back to the Bronze Age. Recipes involving onions have even been inscribed on clay tablets discovered in Mesopotamia.

Egypt

This culture used onions as a staple food source and even worshipped the onion for its concentric rings. They saw the rings as a symbol of eternal life and often incorporated onions into their burial rituals.

Greece

Athletes in ancient Greece ate onions to “bring balance” to their blood, and they consumed large quantities hoping to boost their athletic abilities. Some athletes drank onion juice in preparation for the Olympic games. We have to think that it had an edge over today’s electrolyte drinks.

Rome

Romans began eating onions regularly after conquering Greece. They would often rub onions on gladiators believing that would tone their muscles. They also believed onions would help with sleep and healing. The Roman emperor Nero even used onions to heal common cold symptoms.

North America

European settlers brought onions with them to North America and found close relatives of the plant in the area. In more modern times, onions have been widely used in science education because of their large cells. This makes them perfect for observing and teaching.

Where Onions Are Grown Worldwide

Onions have long been valued worldwide because they’re such a practical vegetable — they are durable and easy to store. This makes them an ideal ingredient for shipping, traveling, and selling. They are widely produced across the globe, second only to tomatoes in the world’s vegetable production.

India leads the world in onion production, closely followed by China. Together they are the top producers of the world’s onions. Almost 50 million tons were produced between the two countries in 2024! Egypt and the United States are the next top onion producers worldwide, followed by Bangladesh, Türkiye, and Pakistan.

Onions need the right climate and soil conditions to thrive, but they’ve adapted across cultures for centuries. Just another reason to love them.

Onion Types Throughout the World

Part of the magic of onions is their diversity. You can add distinct flavor profiles to a dish depending on which type of onion you reach for, and they’re a key starting ingredient in almost every ethnic style of cooking.

Here are just a few of the need-to-know onion types:

Yellow Onions. Your go-to onion! If you don’t know which type of onion to use, you should probably choose yellow. This onion is strong and pungent, and it will most often do what you need onions to do when you’re cooking.

White Onions. Think milder than yellow. This makes them perfect for eating raw, like in pico de gallo or other fresh dishes.

Sweet Onions. These onions have extra sugar, making them perfect for caramelizing. They’re also larger than most onions, which is perfect if you’re feeling up for attempting onion rings. 

Red Onions. This deep-colored onion is great for sandwiches and salads. When you add red onions to a dish you’ll boost both the flavor and the aesthetic.

Green Onions. The entire green onion plant is usually used in recipes, rather than just the bulb. They are a great garnish and can add both crunch and color.

All of these onions have great health benefits as well. They have high levels of Vitamin C and antioxidants, and they can help regulate blood sugar and digestion.

Now the next time you reach for an onion in your kitchen, you can know you’re reaching back in time and across borders!

Ready to experience the quality of Gills onions yourself? Contact our sales department to learn how to get started today.