Blooming onion

A blooming onion

A blooming onion, onion bloom, onion blossom, or onion 'mum is a dish consisting of one large onion which is cut to resemble a flower, battered and deep fried. It is served as an appetizer at some restaurants.

The name of the dish comes from its menu name at Outback Steakhouse ("Bloomin' Onion"), which claims to be the dish's inventor. The owners of Scotty's Steak House in Springfield, New Jersey also claim to have invented this dish in the 1970s. The dish was a charter feature of the Outback restaurant chain when it opened in 1988, and remains prominent on its menu. Its popularity has led to its adoption as an appetizer at various other restaurant chains, most notably Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, where it is best known as the "Texas Rose." The blooming onion is usually served with a restaurant-specific signature dipping sauce.

Despite the implied association with Australian cuisine due to Outback Steakhouse's branding, the dish is unknown in Australia and rarely served outside of the United States.

Nutrition

The egg wash and deep frying preparation process of the blooming onion means it can be relatively high in calories. A single blooming onion with dressing contains approximately 3,000 calories and 134 grams of fat. A study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest found a slightly lower fat content of 116 grams, including a combined 44 grams of saturated and trans fat. When it existed, the similar style Awesome Blossom at Chili's was ranked "Worst Appetizer in America" by Men's Health magazine in 2008 for the unusually high totals of calories and fat, with 2,710 calories, 203 grams (1,827 calories) of fat, 194 grams of carbohydrates, and 6,360 milligrams of sodium, with as much fat as 67 strips of bacon.

See also

• Onion rings
• French fries
• Funyuns
• Waffle fries
• Poutine - French Canadian combination of fries, cheese curds and gravy

External links

• Recipe