Onion ring

Lore & Background

The earliest known recipe for onion rings appears in 1802, when British food writer John Mollard published The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined. It called for cutting onions into slices, dipping them into a batter including Parmesan cheese, and deep-frying them in lard. The recipe also suggested serving them with a sauce of melted butter and mustard. Many recipes for deep-fried onion slices or rings are found starting in the early 20th century, with various processes including no coating, dipping in milk or egg and coating in flour, battering, and breading.

Reader's Guide

Onion rings have a documented history beginning in 1802 with John Mollard's recipe, which introduced the concept of battering and deep-frying onion slices. Over the early 20th century, numerous recipes emerged, showing a progression of coating methods from none to flour, batter, and breadcrumbs. The food chemistry of onion rings involves the decomposition of propanethial oxide into bispropenyl disulfide, which gives the rings a slightly sweet taste. Onion rings remain a common side dish or standalone snack, with variants like onion strings and onion chips. Their legacy is tied to their long-standing presence in cookbooks and their adaptability in preparation methods.

Did You Know?

• The earliest known recipe for onion rings was published in 1802 by British food writer John Mollard.
• Mollard's recipe called for dipping onion slices in a batter that included Parmesan cheese and deep-frying them in lard.
• Onion strings are made by cutting the onion vertically first, resulting in strips rather than circles.