As ubiquitous as onions are in the kitchen, there seem to be few tales of it around the fire. The simple fact that it is so common has made it humble. A far cry from ancient Egyptian days when it was revered as a worthy offering to the gods. 

It may actually be that the humble onion is not unimportant but rather taken for granted. What would you pay for the only onions around? This story about Reb Naftali and the bag of onions illustrates two important concepts: you don't appreciate a thing until it's gone and sometimes a bold move will reap rewards. The fact that the hero of the story is an historical figure and it may have some basis in truth tickles me no end.

There was a type of vendor known as Onion Johnnies. They originally brought onions across the English Channel from Roscoff, France to sell in Britanny. This site tells not only about these hardworking men but the also of the birth of a stereotype. Apparently, however, the Onion Johnnies are not completely gone. These fine Gentles have begun a revival of the practice.

By the way, those brown, papery skins that most people throw away? Don't! They make a lovely natural dye. Here are instructions for dyeing fiber and, in the spirit of the season, for dyeing eggs. There are two methods- boil the skins and put the eggs in the dye bath, or wrap the eggs in the skins and put in the water.  I've done both. Either one makes lovely eggs for your basket.

Just for fun, here are a couple of songs with the onion as a focus.

Do you know of any tales that present the onion as a hero? I'd love to hear them! Share them in the comments section. Please remember to like and share this post. Thanks for stopping by!