22 June: Onion rings

Happy Onion Rings Day! Ten facts about onion rings.

1. An onion ring is the cross section of an Onion which has been dipped in batter and deep fried.

2. They are sometimes called French-fried onion rings.

3. The first recipe for onion rings is attributed to John Mollard, a British food writer who published it in a book called The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined in 1802.

4. His recipe included parmesan Cheese in the batter and used lard for the frying. The recipe also suggested serving them with a sauce of melted Butter and Mustard.

5. Numerous restaurants in America claimed to have invented the onion ring. One of the best known claims is from the Kirby's Pig Stand restaurant chain in Oak Cliff, Texas in the early 1920s. However, there’s no concrete evidence for any of them.

6. It’s possible the origin of onion rings actually lies with Arab merchants in India, who would sell battered fried onions as street food to travellers passing through, thus spreading the idea far and wide.

7. Although it may be that what these merchants sold were actually strips of onion, a variation known as onion strings.

8. Onion rings taste slightly sweet because of a chemical reaction caused by cooking. Propanethial oxide turns into bispropenyl disulfide.

9. Americans consume 20 pounds of these onion rings per person annually.

10. If you hear an onion ring, answer it.

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