Beaches, watersports, tropical foliage – these are probably the first things that come to mind when you think of Bermuda. However, if you had asked a traveller in the 19th century, they would likely say… onions.
There's a good explanation for the connection between the island and the onion. Here’s a look at the role that onions have played in Bermuda's history.
The Rise of the Bermuda Onion
First brought to Bermuda in 1616, onions grew so well on the island that they soon became a staple crop. The island’s onions were normally bulb-shaped with a sweet and mild taste. They came in red, purple, yellow and white.
"It is the flavour of a genuine ‘Bermuda’ that is so different. Maybe it is the sunshine and sea breezes down in beautiful Bermuda or some magic in the soil that is responsible..."
- POSTCARD FROM BERMUDA TRADE DEVELOPMENT BOARD, 1930s
By the mid-1800s, farmers began to realise the value of their crop and started trading Bermuda onions to the U.S. East Coast. As weekly onion shipments increased and sometimes topped more than 30,000 boxes, Americans began to call Bermuda “The Onion Patch” and nicknamed Bermudians “Onions.”