VIDALIA, GA - Vidalia^® Onion season is off to the races—quite literally. The Vidalia Onion Committee (VOC) has announced that America’s “favorite sweet onion” will now be served at “America’s Greatest Race,” making their way onto the official menu for the 2021 Kentucky Derby^®.

“After a year that has been challenging for all of us, we hope our first-ever partnership with the Kentucky Derby will serve as a tiny beacon of normal life by bringing together two of the country’s beloved ‘rites of spring,’” said VOC Chairman Aries Haygood. “We are honored to be part of the official menu of this year’s Derby.”

Vidalia onions will take the spotlight in several dishes of the official Derby menu, according to a press release. Some of the featured dishes include Chicken with Vidalia Onion and Mushroom Sauce as well as Vidalia Onion, Bourbon Sorghum Vinaigrette on a Black-Eyed Pea Salad. To explore them, click here.

“Like chefs and home cooks across the country, I know there is nothing else to compare to the sweet, mild flavor of Vidalia onions,” said Churchill Down’s Executive Chef David Danielson, the culinary artist behind the annual Kentucky Derby official menu. “We think this year’s Derby fans are going to love the items on the menu that feature Vidalia onions.”

Just like the Kentucky Derby, Vidalia onions have become an American favorite after first being discovered in the 1930s. In 1989, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided federal protection to the onion and created the VOC to support marketing and research.

In 1992, Georgia became the official owner of the Vidalia onion trademark, and today the celebrated onion has made its way to one of the most famous sporting events in the nation. What a rich history for such a delicious onion.

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Vidalia® Onion Committee