Blooming onion


A blooming onion, onion bloom, onion blossom, onion flower, bloomin' onion, or onion mum is a dish consisting of one large onion which is cut to resemble a flower, battered, and deep-fried. It is served as an appetizer at some restaurants.

History

The dish was popularized in the United States when it appeared as "Bloomin' Onion", a charter feature of the Outback Steakhouse when that national chain opened in 1988. It is usually served with a restaurant-specific signature dipping sauce.
From June 21, 2016, Outback Steakhouse began serving a limited time only variant of the Bloomin' Onion: the Loaded Bloomin' Onion.

Nutrition

The egg wash and deep frying preparation process of the dish means it is high in calories; a single blooming onion with dressing contains approximately 1954 calories and 134 grams of fat. A study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest found a somewhat lower fat content of 116 grams, including a combined 44 grams of saturated and trans fat. When it existed, the similarly styled Awesome Blossom at Chili's was ranked "Worst Appetizer in America" by Men's Health magazine in 2008 for the unusually high totals of calories and fat, with 2,710 kcalories, 203 grams of fat, 194 grams of carbohydrates, and 6,360 milligrams of sodium, with as much fat as 67 strips of bacon. There is a healthier variety, which contains 522 kcalories and 16 grams of fat. For reference, the US Reference Daily Intake for fat is 65g and for sodium is 2300 mg, assuming a 2000 calories diet, while typical daily food energy recommendations lie in the range of 2000-3000 calories.