Onion Johnnies (Welsh: 'Sioni Winwns' or 'Sioni Nionod') were Breton farmers and agricultural labourers who travelled, originally on foot and later on bicycles, selling distinctive pink onions door to door in Great Britain.
The Onion Johnnies were a group of French seasonal migrants and door-to-door traders who travelled to Britain from the mid-nineteenth to the late twentieth centuries.
Onion Johnny was a term given to the French onion sellers of Brittany who cycled round the streets of Britain, strings of onions tied to their bikes, knocking at doors and making markets more exciting!
The two sweetest, most reputed French onion varieties with AOC & AOP quality status respectively are the Cévennes and Roscoff onions, both particularly fruity and favoured for their long preservation qualities.
An onion (Allium cepa L., from Latin cepa meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classified as a separate species until 2011.
The classic French onion soup gets its name from its country of origin: France. After making its debut in the 18th century, it has become a national treasure. During ancient times (and still today), onions were cheap and easy to grow, and hence, readily available.
A person who sells potatoes, cabbages, onions, etc. is called a seller or a vendor. They can be referred to as a farmer or a market vendor, depending on their specific role and the context in which they operate.
Often wearing traditional berets and striped tops, they carried their rose-pink onions on bicycles, and sold them door-to-door. They were known as 'Onion Johnnies'. Read a fascinating article on the Exeter memories website from somebody who remembers them in the 1960s. This article tells us more about the Johnnies.
Declining since the 1950s to only a few, the Onion Johnny was once very common. Dressed in striped Breton shirt and beret, riding a bicycle hung with onions, the Onion Johnny became the stereotypical image of the Frenchman in the United Kingdom.
French onion soup is the ultimate comfort food. Onions get slowly cooked until sweet and caramelized, then simmered in rich broth until they're practically falling apart. To finish it off, toasted bread is added to give it that lovable crisp-gone-soggy texture and a generous amount of Gruyère cheese is melted on top.
A common stereotypical image of French people, especially in British media, was of a man on a bicycle wearing a striped jumper and beret with a string of onions around their neck.
Whether you're looking to highlight onions for their nutritional value or want to amp up the flavor of sauces, sautés, roasts or any other recipe, this versatile ingredient has a lot to offer. It can stand out or subtly enhance flavor, offer crunch or even work when pickled.
Despite restrictions on imports – particularly after the Second World War – the sellers continued to travel to the UK. But numbers have declined more recently and, in 2005, chefs bade a tearful goodbye to Jean Le Roux, London's last Onion Johnny. Today, only a handful still make the journey across the Channel.
In the middle Ages it was thought that soaking garlic cloves in vinegar could help ward off the plague; there was an old wife's tale that wearing a clove of garlic in one's shoe could prevent whooping cough and of course we all know that wearing a clove or bulb of garlic round the neck will keep vampires at bay!
What is the Frenchman with onions around his neck?
So many of them had the Breton first name Yann, they quickly became known as ''Johnnies'', and the image they created of a Frenchman with a string of onions around his neck, sporting a beret and a traditional stripey top has proved indelible.
Famous for their unique, mellow taste since the 17th century, these pearly pink onions from Brittany can be enjoyed raw, in condiments or cooked. Not only are they versatile, they have a very long shelf life so store in a cool dark place and use as and when you need.
Invented by an unknown Los Angeles chef in 1954 who paired Lipton's dried soup mix with sour cream (or cream cheese), the concoction was originally called “California Dip” when Lipton promoted it nationally via television and print advertising.
It was originally meant to be eaten after a family reunion in the middle of the night to cure hangovers… If you want to know the true story of the unmissable onion soup and how to cook this cozy, warm and flavorful dish at home with the original recipe, this is the right place!
The food writer Waverley Root comments that the origins of French onion soup may lie in Alsace, although the dish is popular throughout France and "apparently no region lays particular claim to it".
Well, you'll be pleased to know that french onion soup is, in fact, a highly nutritious choice. Onions, as part of the Allium family, contain Quercetin which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and should not be overlooked as a vegetable when considering your daily 7-a-day.
What do the French call carrots celery and onions?
Learn about a few of them here. The French flavor base called mirepoix is a combination of onion, carrot and celery generally cut to the same size. It's used in a ratio that's 2 parts onion to 1 part celery and carrot. Mirepoix is the start of many French dishes, such as coq au vin and lamb stew.
