But read on for the story behind this remarkable orb, as related by Joe J. Locati, Walla Walla historian -- and a man who knows his onions.
The Walla Walla Sweet Onion story goes back to the turn of the 20th century with a Frenchman name Pete Pieri. Pieri, stationed with French troops in Corsica, was soon due for discharge. He made plans to migrate to America, to a small community in the West, where he heard there was fertile soil and ample opportunity for gardening. With his plans in mind, Pieri secured the onion seed of Italian strain prevalent in Corsica, then later embarked for his new country from mainland France. Destination: Walla Walla, Washington.
And the eating quality was superb.
To continue, an early-day gardener name Guiseppe Locati procured some seed from his French employer Pieri. The onion immediately found favor with Locati's relatives and friends, and soon became known as the "French Onion." (Ironically, the onion -- still popularly called the French Onion by the Italian growers -- turns out to be Italian after all.)
The French Onion has since gone through a long evolutionary period of development and selection by Walla Walla gardeners and their descendants, which has created an onion of outstanding characteristics with a combined sweetness, flavor and tender succulence that cannot be obtained any place else but from the Walla Walla Valley.
That is the story of the French Onion -- more familiarly referred to as the Walla Walla Sweet Onion by local people with pride. And from the standpoint of quality, those people have taste!