vidalia onions
A "Vidalia onion" is a famously sweet onion grown only in Georgia. In Southern talk, it’s more than a vegetable - it’s a point of pride, tied to local soil, state law, and country cooking.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
Oh I look forward to 'Vidalias every year. Ain't no other onion like 'em. Pronunciation
[vi-DAY-lee-uh UN-yun]
Meaning & Usage
- A legally protected Georgia-grown sweet onion (noun)
Mae:
These onions sure are sweet.
These onions sure are sweet.
Earl:
That’s a Vidalia onion - only way to get flavor like that.
That’s a Vidalia onion - only way to get flavor like that.- A Southern food symbol (noun, figurative)
Mae:
Folks up North don’t know what they’re missin’.
Folks up North don’t know what they’re missin’.
Earl:
Ain’t nothin’ like a Vidalia onion on a tomato sandwich.
Ain’t nothin’ like a Vidalia onion on a tomato sandwich.other spellings: Georgia onion
★ Vidalia onions are the official state vegetable of Georgia. Sweet enough to eat raw, they’re a staple in Southern cooking - from burgers to onion pie. ★
Origin
The onions first gained fame in the 1930s near Vidalia, Georgia, where the soil’s low sulfur made them unusually sweet. By the 1980s, the name "Vidalia onion" was legally protected by the state.
Notes
In the South and Appalachia, "Vidalia onion" is a household word. Outside the region, many just say "sweet onion," and some folks may not know the Vidalia name at all.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "vuh-DAY-lee-uh." Locals often soften it even more: "vuh-DAY-lyuh."