June 22nd is National Onion Rings Day!

On June 22nd, National Onion Rings Day recognizes a batter-dipped, deep-fried bite of deliciousness that runs rings around other appetizers. There are so many reasons to celebrate Onion Rings Day. Onion rings are one of the most popular snacks and have become a staple in many parts of the world, including variations found in Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and even parts of Asia. They’re a bit like French fries, but taste even more special and delicious in some cases. You can dip them, dunk them, and eat them alongside all your favorite sandwiches and hamburgers. You can even lay them out at a buffet at parties. They’re so flexible!

The exact origins of the day and the snack are unknown, but the folks at nationaldaycalendar.com found some interesting historical tidbits about its fried ring deliciousness:

• A recipe called “Fried Onions with Parmesan Cheese” is included in John Mollard’s 1802 cookbook The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined. Within the recipe, it suggests cutting onions into 1/2 inch rings, dipping them into a batter made of flour, cream, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese then deep-frying them in boiling lard. It also recommends serving them with a sauce made of melted butter and mustard.
• Some believe that a recipe for French Fried Onions (not claiming to be the originator of the recipe) appeared in the Middletown, NY Daily Times on January 13, 1910.
• The Kirby’s Pig Stand restaurant chain, established in Oak Cliff, Texas in the early 1920s, claims to have battered and served up the first official onions rings. And, they were the first fast food chain to offer a kind of drive up/drive thru service from your car!  Unfortunately, Kirby’s went out of business in 2006, but the rings live on….
• A recipe for deep-fried onion rings dipped in milk then dredged in flour appeared in a 1933 Crisco advertisement in The New York Times Magazine.  
• In the 1960s, the A&W restaurant is credited with popularizing the onion rings in fast food restaurants.

Since these early days, there have been many refinements of the onion rings recipe, with a great debate existing on the proper method and what brings out the best flavor. There are hundreds of recipes involving different mixtures of batter to coat them in, different sauces to dip them in, and even the type of onions you use to prepare them.

Onion Rings Day is your opportunity to get out there and enjoy your favorite deep-fried savory treat. They’re simple to make at home, and while a deep fryer is great, it isn’t essential in their preparation. There are even baked Onion Rings if you decide to go that way, but nothing beats the original. Just heat up a pan of oil until a small drop of batter starts to sizzle when dropped in, and then carefully submerge your coated Onion Rings one by one and cook until a golden brown. There are dozens of recipes online that you can try, and even more recipes for sauces to serve them with.

If making onion rings isn’t your idea of fun, but you like eating them, then you can head out to any one of the dozens of restaurant chains that serves them as part of their daily menu. While many fast-food chains offer onion rings, the best examples come from independent restaurants with proprietary recipes. It’s highly likely that you have at least one of these in your area, serving up rings in the traditional style. Look for local diners with a long history and experienced management. Family businesses tend to be the best.

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