The History of Vidalia Onion Pie

For the uninitiated, Vidalia onion pie is a savory dish that features a cheesy, egg-like custard studded with Vidalia onions and topped with a buttery cracker crumble. The origins of the dish are quite murky, but we do know that earlier versions of onion pie began cropping up in the mid-1700s. In fact, the first mention of “onion pye” in America comes from Hannah Glasse’s 1747 cookbook, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. However, it wasn’t until the 1930s that Vidalia onions were first cultivated and sold to the public. At some point after their rise to popularity, Vidalia onions were likely incorporated into existing savory pie recipes, which were then adjusted until the current version of Vidalia onion pie was created. This occurred sometime in the middle of the 20th century. Today, Vidalia onion pie is a favorite of many and is especially popular in the South.