The Vidalia onion was named Georgia’s official state vegetable in 1990.
Vidalia onions are sweet onions grown in a legally defined production area in southeastern Georgia. They take their name from the city of Vidalia, where the crop became famous. Their mild flavor is associated with the region’s unusually low-sulfur soil, which produces less pungency than many other onions.
Commercial cultivation began around 1931, when farmer Mose Coleman noticed that his onions were unexpectedly sweet. The crop gained a strong reputation, and Georgia later protected the name through the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986. Federal marketing rules also restrict the “Vidalia” label to onions grown in the approved Georgia area.
The 1990 designation is sometimes confused with the onion’s trademark and growing protections, but those are separate milestones. The 1986 law protected the brand, while the state-symbol designation recognized the onion as Georgia’s official vegetable. Vidalia onions are commonly eaten raw, grilled, fried, or used in salads and relishes.