# Anyone else dislike Onions? Let's talk **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [August 11, 2025, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932 "2025-08-11T16:48:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/41 "2025-08-11T23:04:58Z")
The meats are Twice the height of the onion ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/42 "2025-08-11T23:43:16Z")
I _love_ onions. And the tangier, the better. When I order a salad at a restaurant, I always ask for extra onions, and I let them know I’ll happily pay a higher price for it. But they never put enough on, for my tastes. Garlic, peppers, onions… love them. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/43 "2025-08-11T23:59:10Z")
I love onions, but lately they really irritate my gut, especially if they’re uncooked. It makes me sad. It makes me crave a bowl of French onion soup, gut be damned. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/44 "2025-08-12T00:02:34Z")
I don’t like onions. I can tolerate them in salsa if they’re chopped finely enough but otherwise no thank you. I don’t like the texture or the taste. 🤢 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/45 "2025-08-12T00:09:20Z")
I love onions. My wife, however, can’t ear raw onions without getting indigestion. If they’re cooked, it’s fine, but I have to check salads to see if onions are incluced. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/46 "2025-08-12T00:20:46Z")
I’ve always liked cooked onions, but it’s only within the past few years that I started liking raw onions, like in a Greek salad, or in a gyro, or a thin slice of red onion on a burger. That’s the key, it’s got to be a _thin_ slice. Most restaurants give you a big, thick slice with your burger, and that’s just too much onion, and it does overwhelm the burger like others said. But IMO a little bit of onion does add something to a burger. Supposedly your taste buds become less sensitive as you get older, so I attribute that to why I just fairly recently started liking raw onion. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/47 "2025-08-12T00:26:56Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > After I posted this thread, Discourse found a Related one from 2011. Quoting from that thread: > I really hate onions. Why do people put something with such a strong flavor on so many foods Answer: Because it’s not necessarily a “strong” flavour (it depends on the type of onion), or you might actually want a strong flavour, or any combination thereof. I replied to the OP survey with “I like onions”, which appears to be the overwhelming consensus. To the extent that I keep two kinds on hand, white onions and red. Never had much love for the more popular yellow kind. The red onions are for serving raw on sandwiches and salads, the white for general use, usually sauteed first except for burgers. I could not live without onions! One of my occasionally favoured pizza toppings, too! 😋 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/48 "2025-08-12T02:07:47Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Answer: Because it’s not necessarily a “strong” flavour (it depends on the type of onion Maybe different people experience the flavor differently. I’ve never met a raw onion that didn’t have a strong, sharp flavor. For that matter, cooked onion is pretty potent, too, although it’s more “rich” than “sharp”. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/49 "2025-08-12T02:17:31Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > The only good onion is a fried onion Vidalia onions are best eaten raw. Although I dice mine, I’ve been known to eat an entire slice while dicing. Really sweet. Walla Walla sweet onions are a close second, for the same reasons. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/50 "2025-08-12T03:18:58Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Maybe different people experience the flavor differently. I’ve never met a raw onion that didn’t have a strong, sharp flavor. Yeah every raw onion I’ve ever eaten was sharp and acidic (which I obviously am down with). Some have enough sugar to tone it down a bit, but I’ve never eaten one that had enough sugar to totally tone it down. > [@Duckster](#): > > Vidalia onions are best eaten raw. Although I dice mine, I’ve been known to eat an entire slice while dicing. Really sweet. > > Walla Walla sweet onions are a close second, for the same reasons. Heheh, my dad used to say that noonday onions were so sweet you can eat them like an apple. You can, but it still is merely a really sweet onion. Vidalia onion rings rock, I should probably try making some from noondays. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/51 "2025-08-12T03:51:32Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > The only good onion is a fried onion > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > if you (general you) do not like them in any form then fine. > [@Dr.Drake](#): > > you onion-haters have my sympathy. > [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > They way many people cook with onions overwhelms all other flavors to my pallette. That and the texture of onions is just plain wrong IMHO, either too slimey or too big. > [@Mangetout](#): > > A friend of mine calls them “the devil’s vegetable!” - and I think he really means it. > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Raw onions - blech. > [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > I love onions, but they don’t love me. If I eat beyond a threshold level my fructose malabsorption kicks in and I’m off to the toilet. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > I can’t really tolerate raw onions, > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’m not a fan of raw onions whatsoever. > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > my brother is sensitive to them when they’re more than a grace note in a dish, and my daughter hates them if they’re too big, > [@ShadowFacts](#): > > When I was younger, I did not like onions. > [@DrDeth](#): > > raw onions upset my stomach. Okay in small amounts in a salad, but I take off or tell them “no onions” on a burger. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > Moderating: > > This is turning into an onion love fest. Hmm. Is it okay to respectfully disagree with an official observation by a mod, with cites to support my disagreement? (Or should I take it to ATMB rather than here?) I’ll take my lumps if I’m breaking the rules by disagreeing. This isn’t an “onion love fest” - it’s a series of considered responses to the OP’s question. Yes, the OP was looking for others who don’t like onions, but I don’t think that precludes people expressing polite disagreement, especially when there is a lot of support for amended descriptions of onion dislike (cooked good but raw bad; I know others who hate onions, etc.). Anyway, I think this is a fun thread. I’ve tended to assume that everyone loves cooked onions and some people like raw ones, unless there is a medical reason to feel otherwise. This thread is teaching me otherwise, and I appreciate the culinary insights (as someone who adores cooking for others, and always tries to accommodate dietary restrictions regardless of whether they are medically, morally, or aesthetically based). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/52 "2025-08-12T03:59:06Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Is it okay to respectfully disagree with an official observation by a mod Sure…if they are not offically moderating (which they clearly indicate) they are acting the same as any other poster. Disagree as you see fit (within the rules as you would any poster). As for what people like…there is a spectrum of accommodating them I think. I would certainly try to make something someone likes if I know the mains are not to their liking (e.g. I have a friend who hate fish so I would be sure there is a no-fish option). But there are limits, I think. Barring allergies I’m not sure how hard I need to work to make a whole other menu for a guest. It’s a call one needs to make. Some accommodation…sure. More than that is up to you. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/53 "2025-08-12T04:00:56Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Sure…if they are not offically moderating (which they clearly indicate) they are acting the same as any other poster. Disagree as you see fit (within the rules as you would any poster). They WERE officially moderating, so I might need a wrist slap. I reported my post and await official ruling; it’s fine if I’m told I shouldn’t have posted as I did. I’ll learn from the experience. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/54 "2025-08-12T04:06:39Z")
I don’t dislike onions, but I do think they have their place; and then, only in certain amounts. A Greek salad absolutely needs them, as do gyros. Chili needs them. A couple of raw onion rings add flavour to a burger, and four or five raw onion rings do the same to a sub sandwich. Chopped scallions are welcome in a tossed green salad, and chopped onions are fine in meatloaf. But onions should not be added to foods that traditionally didn’t have them. Caramelized onions do not belong on a French dip sandwich, nor do fried onion strings belong on a burger (as I said though, a couple of raw onion rings are just fine on those). If the kitchen won’t hold those when I order, I’ll just pick them off so the food can return to what it should be. There are other examples, but sometimes, I think onions are added just to make menu descriptions longer and/or hike the price of the item. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/55 "2025-08-12T04:07:53Z")
I like the flavor onions add to food and I don’t mind the smell when I’m doing the cooking, but other peoples’ oniony food disgusts me. They smell dangerously close to body odor and when I smell them in unexpected places, I sometimes have a moment of anxiety, wondering if the smell is coming from me. I think it’s down right inconsiderate to heat up one’s onion laden lunch in the communal microwave. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/56 "2025-08-12T04:10:50Z")
BO definitely can have an onion-like smell. Maybe it is context that matters? (or not) I’ve had more than one GF insist I eat a bite of anything she was eating if it had onions so I would smell like onions too. (so a kiss later was both of us with onion breath) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/57 "2025-08-12T04:59:05Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I’ve had more than one GF insist I eat a bite of anything she was eating if it had onions so I would smell like onions too. (so a kiss later was both of us with onion breath) I love that. A former bf and I ate a lot of (Indian) curry and would joke about the cloud of curry smell that must surround us wherever we go. “ Good job I love you almost as much as curry, because you smell like a balti".” ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/58 "2025-08-12T11:11:34Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Greek salad absolutely needs them, as do gyros. Chili needs them. A couple of raw onion rings add flavour to a burger, and four or five raw onion rings do the same to a sub sandwich Absolutely not true. I have ordered and enjoyed many of these without onion and they were more than just fine. A gyro with no onions if a wonderful thing as I can actually taste and enjoy the meat, sauce and pita bread. A side of fries and a Coke Zero and I am in utter bliss. Its this attitude about onions that just irks me. I don’t like people trying to explain that I need to like them to enjoy a dish. I already know what I like and while I respect your right to have a differing opinion it really doesn’t matter to me. But I accept this slight character flaw in you and other posters. 😃 We are all older and set in our ways. And to each his own I say. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/59 "2025-08-12T11:52:16Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I have a sour, burning in my throat for hours after eating anything with a lot of onion. This is me too. I can not have any kind of onions in my food. I can’t eat them raw or cooked in any form. This also goes for peppers and too much garlic, so I basically avoid it all. It does, in some ways, make going out a pain, but I usually do not have a difficult time finding something to eat. I think I can deal with a bit of onion powder, but I try and skip over that as well. I do get some looks when I ask for stuff plain to make sure sauces don’t have onion in them, but I’m too old to care any more. So yeah, I hate onions, and I don’t think there’s been one in my house in 30 or so years now. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932/60 "2025-08-12T12:10:46Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > > [@Spoons](#): > > > > Greek salad absolutely needs them, as do gyros. Chili needs them. A couple of raw onion rings add flavour to a burger, and four or five raw onion rings do the same to a sub sandwich > > Absolutely not true. I have ordered and enjoyed many of these without onion and they were more than just fine. A gyro with no onions if a wonderful thing as I can actually taste and enjoy the meat, sauce and pita bread. A side of fries and a Coke Zero and I am in utter bliss. I, also, enjoy Greek salads without onions and gyros with no onion and no hot sauce. And if a dish comes with raw onions, i fish them out and give them to my husband. My very favorite Greek salad was served to me a Greece. A big mound of chunks of fresh ripe tomatoes, liberally garnished with feta cheese and black olives, and drizzled with olive oil. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-dislike-onions-lets-talk/1021932.md?page=4)