13 Interesting Facts About Onions

Here are 13 Interesting Onion facts.

1-5 Onion Facts

1. Onions are eaten and grown in more countries than any other vegetable, with at least 175 countries producing an onion crop. And unlike wheat (the largest global crop by area harvested), the onion is a staple of every major cuisine. – Source

2.Onions are the only commodity banned from futures trading in the United States. The Onion Futures Act was passed in 1958 after two traders cornered the onion market in Chicago controlling 98% of all available onions. – Source

3. A one pound onion has 191 calories, a Blooming Onion from Outback Steakhouse has around 1954 calories. – Source

4. As a form of birth control, the Egyptians applied onion juice to the tip of the penis before coitus. – Source

5. In the Middle Ages, onions were such an important food that people would pay their rent with onions, and even give them as gifts. – Source

6-10 Onion Facts

6. Cutting an onion from pole to pole rather than along the equator influences flavor. Specifically, cutting an onion from pole to pole will result in a less pungent taste/odor and more mild and sweet flavor. – Source

7. Onions are poisonous to cats and dogs. – Source

8. In 2010, India experienced an “onion crisis” and the cost of onions is a significant political issue in India. – Source

9. Cutting Onions make you cry because they produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. This chemical irritant stimulates the eyes’ lachrymal glands so they release tears. – Source

10. South Koreans Costco cafe customers consume 20 times the amount of onions as their American counterparts each year. – Source