Episode 1 – Onions: tears, mayhem and tasty bass notes

We love onions. They’re a key player in our “mmmm that smells good! Whatcha cookin?” starter pack. But it turns out our bulbous little friends are pretty darn volatile (in more ways than one). Let’s peel back the layers and find out more!

View the animated version of this episode here.

Quiz Answers
Question 1.
If an onion was playing an instrument in an orchestra, what would it be?
Bass
Question 2.
Scientists from which country invented an onion that won’t make you cry?
New Zealand
Question 3.
What kind of snake did an angry customer throw at a guy in Canada?
Garter
Question 4.
What chemical, beginning with S, makes onions smell so strong?
Sulphur
Question 5.
In ancient Egypt, what shape symbolised eternity?
Circles
Question 6.
What kind of gut-loving fibre is in onions?
Prebiotic

Sources
The Secret Life of Food: a Feast of Food and Drink History Folklore and Fact by Martin Elkort.
‘Man Tosses Snake Behind Tim Hortons Counter Over Diced Onion Dispute’, CBC News, December 8, 2014.
‘New Zealand: ‘No Tears’ Onion’ by Agence France-Presse, New York Times, February 2, 2008.

Credits
This episode was narrated by Alice Zaslavsky and produced by Beverley Laing.
The concentric appreciation ad was voiced by Courtney Glass.
Writer: Sam West.
Recording: Tender Trap Studios, Melbourne.
Sound engineering: Sam Lowe.
Sound effects editor: Hayden Riley.
Animator: Vera Babida.
Curriculum Specialist: Beverley Laing.
Funding: Hort Innovation.

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