Onions in Literature

1. Onions in Literature Provided by the National Onion Association

2. Famous Writers “The onion is the truffle of the poor.” -Robert J. Courtine, a French gourmet

3. “Garlic is peasant, rustic; the onion is urban. The onion brings to the kitchen of the cities a little of the countryside . . . the onion offers always, and especially in winter, a little of the springtime of the soil, preserved in its bulb.” -French writer Raymond Dumay

4. Juvenal, a Roman satirist, created thispoem about the Egyptians: How Egypt, mad with superstition grown, Makes gods of monsters but too well is known. ‘Tis moral sin an Onion to devour, Each clove of garlic hath a sacred power, Religious nation, sure, and best abodes, When every garden is o’errun with gods!

5. “I crawled into the vegetable bin, settled on a giant onion and ate it, skin and all. It must have marked me for life for I have never ceased to love the hearty flavor of onions.” -James Beard, American cooking expert and author

6. “It’s hard to imagine civilization without onions.” -Julia Child, American cookbook author

7. “The onion and its satin wrappings is among the most beautiful of vegetables and is the only one that represents the essence of things. It can be said to have a soul.” -My Summer Garden by Charles Dudley Warner

8. “Onion skins very thin, Mild winter coming in. Onion skins very tough, Coming winter very rough.” -Old English rhyme

9. “Life is like an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time; And sometimes you weep.” -Carl Sandburg, American poet

10. “For this is every cook’s opinion, No savoury dish without an onion; But lest your kissing should be spoiled, Your onions should be thoroughly boiled.” -Jonathan Swift, Irish satirist

11. Onions in Folklore The pungent odor and awesome strength of the onion was a mystery to ancient man. An old Turkish legend explains it rather profoundly. It tells that when Satan was thrown out of heaven, garlic sprouted where he placed his left foot, and onions grew where he placed his right foot.

12. When plague raged through Eastern Europe, people thought it was caused by evil spirits, and they used onions and garlic as good luck charms to chase off the spirits. • People hung strands of onions and garlic from their doorways, their windows, and even around their necks to keep vampires away.