# What are types of onions called - in Spain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 11, 2009, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656 "2009-07-11T06:09:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/1 "2009-07-11T06:09:18Z")
There is a kind of a poll in here too, but the main question is the one in the title so its probably still OK for GQ. What type (colour, size, strength) of onion is called what, in Spain itself? Do they refer to anything as a Spanish onion? Spanish for Spanish onion is _cebollas españolas_ according to Babelfish. The poll-ish part of this post is: what kind of onion do _you_ call a Spanish onion? (And where are you from, if it’s not in your location, please). This is for the purpose of establishing whether my findings below are factual. As best I can tell, in the US Spanish onions are the large yellow ones, whereas in the UK they are the reddish-purple ones. Here in Australia there is fierce debate on the topic. Wikipedia wisely avoids the question entirely, the article on onions does even contain the word “Spanish” and the one on Spanish onions says they come in three colors yellow, red, and white. Wimps. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/2 "2009-07-11T12:39:31Z")
A Spanish onion to me is a yellow onion that is not a Vidalia. I am in western pensylvania. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/3 "2009-07-11T21:41:08Z")
**Yellow ones that aren’t vidalias.** _Kansas._ (Also just called “yellow onions”). Red onions are, well, red onions. (And are more common in Indian and Asian cooking than in Mediterranean, I believe.) ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/4 "2009-07-11T22:33:17Z")
I’m from California, and I’ve never heard of a Spanish onion. Onions are known as yellow, white, brown, or red. I lived in Spain, and as far as I remember, onions were just called _cebollas_ without any qualifiers. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/5 "2009-07-11T22:57:26Z")
I thought the red onions were Spanish onions? 😕 I’m not a cook, though. (Eastern US) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/6 "2009-07-11T23:42:55Z")
Chandler Bing eating Chinese food : You know, in China they call this … food. My WAG: The Spanish term for Spanish Onion is … onion. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/7 "2009-07-12T01:59:15Z")
Ah well, it would have been fun if they called it an English onion or something. Seems like there is widespread disagreement even within the US on whether red or yellow onions are called Spanish. Interesting! ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/8 "2009-07-12T05:43:34Z")
London calling… Spanish onions are large white mild onions over here. Red onions are red onions, often used in salads here, as well as Indian dishes. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/9 "2009-07-12T12:57:38Z")
Spanish onions, if they’re referred to at all, which they aren’t much, are the ordinary yellow ones. Red onions are helpfully called “red onions”, white onions… you get the picture. London. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/10 "2009-07-12T13:03:56Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Chandler Bing eating Chinese food : You know, in China they call this … food. Badly misquoted. Joey: (To Ross, at a barbecue.) Go to China! Eat Chinese food!! Chandler: Of course, over there, they just call it… food. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/11 "2009-07-12T19:38:03Z")
I sit corrected ---
**Author:** ![RhapsodyInBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RhapsodyInBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RhapsodyInBlue)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/12 "2009-07-13T00:58:11Z")
My family in NY and NJ always refer to the red ones as Spanish onions. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/13 "2009-07-13T01:37:49Z")
OK, this is looking hopeless, I may have to change the whole part of my book about them … it seems basically the east coast of the US say the red ones are the Spanish, whereas the UK and the rest of the USA say the yellow ones are, or don’t use the term at all. Argh. If any native Spaniards care to chime in and confirm or deny post #4, that would still be useful though. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/14 "2009-07-13T02:30:32Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > … it seems basically the east coast of the US say the red ones are the Spanish I never noticed this in PA or CT. I honestly don’t know which onions are which, and I don’t remember if anything is labeled “Spanish” in the grocery store. Usually I buy a bag of yellow onions, plus the occasional individual red onion. This weekend I bought a bag of “sweet” onions or something. They taste watery. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/15 "2009-07-13T04:42:46Z")
Google images for “Spanish onion” shows me half a dozen different kinds of onions just in the first page, does “Spanish onion” just mean “round onion”? Onions are cebollas. You can further classify as “nueva” (recently picked up) or “roja” (red ones, which are less usual), but that’s sort of specialty onions and they’re used in the same ways as regular brown-or-yellow onions; the only place you’re likely to hear the qualifiers is in the grocer’s (mostly so people know which number to choose in the self-service scale, in one with a live server you’re more likely to hear “medium-sized ones” or “from that box on the right, sorry, my right”). The little pickled ones are cebolletas (lit. “little cebolla”). And as far as I know, the only difference between a white onion and a brown-or-yellow one is that the white one is a brown-or-yellow one with the outermost layers removed, isn’t it? 😕 Native Spaniard here. You may want to page **sailor** or **Red Fury** for confirmation and regional variations. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/16 "2009-07-13T04:48:07Z")
I grew up in New York City. I understand a “Spanish onion” to mean a large red or purple one, often served raw as a garnish. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/17 "2009-07-13T04:51:12Z")
[Spanish onion](http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_192/1191802419SsF1c4.jpg), as I understand it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-types-of-onions-called-in-spain/502656/18 "2009-07-13T04:57:36Z")
At my grocery store, [these are Spanish onions.](http://www.vegboxes.com/products_pictures/spanish_onions.jpg) Normally, though, I refer to them as yellow onions. (As a tangential note of linguistic interest, in Hungarian, the yellow onions are called “red onions,” _vöröshagyma_, and what English speakers call red onions [the onions in **Colibri** ’s link] are “purple onions”, _lilahagyma_.)