Texas State Vegetable – Sweet Onion

The sweet onion was designated as the Texas state vegetable on May 7, 1997. Onions are Texas’ leading vegetable crop with sales bringing the state $70 to $100 million per year. According to Texas A&M, “the sweet onions from Texas started when the Bermuda onion was introduced into South Texas in 1898 when a pack of onion seed was planted near Cotulla.” Over time scientists developed the onions into what we have today. The legislature said “The well-known 1015 variation of this onion is recognized by gourmet chefs and culinary experts from around the world for its characteristic sweetness and its inherent properties that inhibit tearing of the eyes; it has been carefully nurtured and perfected over time and is renowned for its exceptional flavor and well-documented nutritive qualities.”