Onion

Onion was a root vegetable eaten raw or dried.

Description
On Toril, onions grew to a much larger size than they did on Earth.

Availability
In most economies, of dried onions sold for 5 silver pieces. Places in the Realms where onions were known to be cultivated included the following:
 * In the Heartlands, onions were a staple of Sembian kitchens and pantries.
 * In north Faerûn, onions were cultivated by farmers in the Battledale and Mistledale regions of the Dalelands.
 * In northwest Faerûn, onions were cultivated in the walled abbey of Goldenfields.
 * In south Faerûn, onions were cultivated in the Land of the Lions.
 * In west Faerun's Lands of Intrigue, onions were a common food in Calimshan and Tethyr. Along the Sword Coast, they were cultivated in the hamlet of Bowshot.

Wild onions could be found growing in the Hordelands and on the Island of Viledel in the Korinn Archipelago.

Culinary Usages

 * Onion was sometimes used to flavor crackers.
 * Whole onions were among the multitude of things stuffed into giant squids in the town of Tulmene.
 * The recipe for Amnian Dragoon Soup called for one chopped onion.
 * Bhaerulb, a peculiar gnome and halfling delicacy, typically used onions.
 * Brassla, a traditional Luskan dish, featured onions that were finely chopped and fried.
 * Dolmat, a traditional West Zakharan dish of boiled stuffed onions with mutton, rice, and almonds.
 * Elven dishes were traditionally not made with onions, as the Fair Folk considered their flavor to be overpowering. They usually reserved onions as "wayfaring staples," something to mask the foul taste of rancid food in times of strife and struggle.
 * Marruth was commonly cooked with spiced onions.
 * Onions were a common ingredient, alongside rosemary and thyme, used to season a full leg of mutton, be it roasted, smoked, or simply stewed.
 * They were of course a key ingredient in onion cake.
 * Onion soup.
 * Squash soup commonly featured onions.
 * Tarnsar, a staple dwarven dish, typically featured onions.
 * Thaek buns were typically stuffed with onions.
 * Vaervren, an elven wild rice dish, had onions sautéed in wild boar fat until soft and then cooked with other vegetables for the duration of a long elven song.

Miscellaneous Usages

 * Onions were found to be useful in treating the disease known as scurvy.

Businesses

 * The Battlescarred Bard in Amn served chopforest, a dish consisting of onions alongside a green salad with olives.
 * Beldabar's Rest in Yartar served onions in soup alongside lentils and rice.
 * The Grinning Lion of Waterdeep served fried onions.
 * The Owlroost Head Inn in Purskul served cooked and chopped onions in its specialty dish, Emerald Chicken.
 * Rumnthorygh's Welcoming House in Mosstone typically stuffed their stuffed chicken with onions.
 * The Sailors' Own in Waterdeep served onions alongside various stewed meats.
 * The Stag Triumphant in Mosstone typically topped their omelets with onions.
 * Stargath House served lots of cooked onions in its specialty dish, the Plate of Silver.

Regions & Settlements

 * In Cormyr, partridge, hocks, onions, and mushroom stews were a common dish. Onion- and mushroom-stuffed cheese handwheels were available in Suzail and the kitchens of Castle Obarskyr.
 * In the Blade Kingdoms, the smell of ale and fried onions was a signature aroma of a home with a staffed kitchen and of the annual Blade Festival.
 * In the Savage Frontier, onions were fried with liver and served in some eateries.
 * Onions, grilled prawns, bass, and carrots on skewers were a commoners' feast in Sembia and its city of Selgaunt. Selgauntan roasted beef was often served with onions.

Trivia

 * Mindflayers that were healthy from brain-rich diets excreted a thin film of slimy, glistening mucus that gave off a faint odor that was sometimes described as similar to onions, although this smell was imperceptible from afar.