Why do we called red onions red, when they're actually purple in color?

Answer 1

Maybe someone was color blind.

Black-and-white speckled chickens are called "blue." Don't ask me why.

Come to think of it, why are black people called "black" when they aren't actually black?

Answer 2

The red onion was given its name because it has a reddish tint and hue to it, even though it looks purple.

The onion is believed to have originated in Asia, though it is likely that onions may have been growing wild on every continent. Dating back to 3500 BC, onions were one of the few foods that did not spoil during the winter months. Our ancestors must have recognized the vegetable's durability and began growing onions for food.


Onions came in a variety of sizes, colors and shapes. They are often broken down into three categories: spring/summer, storage, and pearl onions. Spring/summer onions are grown primarily from fall to spring in warm weather areas and have a soft flesh and a mild or sweet taste. These varieties are generally shipped right after harvesting. Storage onions have a firm flesh, dry, crackly outer skins and have a pungent flavor. After a brief period of drying, these onions are stored for several months before shipping. Pearl onions are often called white onions and are densely planted to make the onions smaller. There are no nutritional differences among these onion types.

Onions also come in three colors — yellow, red, and white. Approximately 88 percent of the onion crop is devoted to yellow onion production, with about 7 percent red onions and 5 percent white onions.

Yellow onions are full-flavored and are a reliable standby for cooking almost anything. Yellow onions turn a rich, dark brown when cooked and give French Onion Soup its tangy sweet flavor.
The red onion, with its wonderful color, is a good choice for fresh uses or in grilling and char-broiling.
White onions are the traditional onion used in classic Mexican cuisine. They have a golden color and sweet flavor when sautéed.

Now you know more than you wanted to know about red onions:)

Answer 3

I was recently wondering about this same question- Probably because of botanical classifications. If you look at botanical field guides, they separate plants into what color flower they have. Purple flowers are usually lumped into either red or blue depending on where they fall in the spectrum. Red is primary color, purple a secondary color- this may have something to do with it.

Answer 4

Tomato, tomaaato, potato, potaaato....it's all the same. You could call them technicolor if you chose to.

They probably picked up the name from the fact that purple is harder to say than red.

Answer 5

it's the same with clover. Red clover is actually purple in color - no clue as to why.

Answer 6

they r purplish pink on the inside but the outer dry skin is red... hence red.

Answer 7

because when they are growing they are devil red so thats how they got the name as they age the get darker

Answer 8

If oranges are orange in color why don't we call lemons yellows?

Answer 9

ok call them purple

Answer 10

Because there not square.