White Onion

History

White onions arrived in the Americas with Spanish colonizers in the 16th century and found their spiritual home in Mexican cuisine, where they became absolutely essential. While yellow onions dominated European and Anglo-American cooking, Mexican cooks developed a strong preference for white onions' sharper, cleaner flavor profile and crisp texture—qualities that better suited the bright, fresh flavors of salsas, ceviches, and raw applications central to Mexican gastronomy. The high sulfur content that gives white onions their pungency mellows dramatically when cooked, making them equally valuable sautéed for rice dishes, charred for tacos al pastor, or simmered in moles. Interestingly, white onions are less common in global cultivation than yellow or red varieties, giving Mexican and Southwestern cuisines a distinctive character built partly on this allium preference. Beyond Mexico, white onions found homes in Southeast Asian cuisines, particularly Vietnamese cooking where their clean flavor suits pho and fresh preparations. French cuisine traditionally uses white onions in béchamel and other white sauces to avoid the yellow tint that yellow onions impart. American supermarkets long undervalued white onions, but growing appreciation for authentic Mexican cooking has expanded their availability and recognition as a distinct culinary ingredient rather than just an alternative to yellow onions.