White onion
A sharper, more pungent onion than yellow, with thin papery skin. The default onion in Mexican cooking — raw in salsas and pico de gallo, or cooked down for a cleaner, less sweet base.
Used for
- salsa
- tacos
- pico de gallo
- sautéing
In the kitchen
- dice
- sauté
- pickle raw
Picking it at the store
- Firm with tight, dry, papery skin — avoid soft spots or sprouting
- Its sharp raw bite mellows significantly once cooked, unlike yellow onion which turns sweet
Related terms
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