Artifact: Onion
Materials: Onion
Dimensions:
Date:
Origin:
Collection: User:Colin via WikiMedia Commons
License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Ledger Entry: Onion
Department: Local Payment
Customer: Mr. McCarty's Harry
Ledger Page: 233
Imported From: Produce would have been locally grown
Product Description
Onions came to Colonial America from England, as well as Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Even though they had a powerful smell, the bulbs resist decay and they add flavor to dishes. They frequently accompanied meat dishes.
Citation: Katharine E. Harbury, Colonial Virginia's Cooking Dynasty (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2004);; Andrew F. Smith, ed., The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007).
Historical Price: 1 pound, 2 shilling; Modern USD: $
Product Variations
Ramsay occasionally took payment in goods rather than currency. Onions appear once as part of a payment to Ramsay for one pound two shillings in the form of onions, potatoes, and peas.
