Red and white Onions were used interchangeably in early modern period, and the culinary uses of both were very similar to the modern day. They were used to add flavour to sauces, soups, and meat dishes. Early modern cooks were warned against serving raw Onions as they were seen to induce headaches and dull the senses. Onions were also valued for their medical properties, used against rabies if the patient was bitten by an infected dog, or made into an ointment to cause hair to grow where the patient was suffering from baldness.
Please note this information is research based on historic documents….and is not modern advice for health and wellness!