White dehydrated onion is made from white onion varieties and dries to a creamy white or pale colour. Red and pink dehydrated onion are made from coloured varieties, and they keep some of that colour after drying.
White is by far the main product from Indian dehydration plants. Red and pink are smaller, more specialised lines, so supply, grades and the number of plants making them are more limited.
White onion
White dehydration varieties are grown for high dry matter, which gives more finished product per tonne of fresh onion. The colour is neutral, so it does not change the look of a sauce, soup or seasoning.
Because the colour is pale, defects show clearly. Brown, scorched or dark pieces stand out, and that is the basis of the colour grades most plants sell.
Red onion
Red dehydrated onion keeps a red to purple tint, mainly in the outer edge of each ring. Buyers use it where the colour adds visual appeal, such as salad toppings, dips, seasoning blends and some ethnic food products.
Red varieties usually have lower dry matter than white dehydration types, so yields are lower. The colour can also fade or darken with heat, light and time, so packing and storage matter more.
Pink onion
Pink is a lighter shade between white and red. Suppliers may make it from pink or light red varieties, or describe a pale red product as pink. What one plant calls pink can differ from another, so judge by the sample, not the name.
What to compare
- Colour: ask for a photo against a white background and a physical sample. Agree a reference sample for future shipments.
- Flavour: coloured varieties can taste different from white. Test in your own recipe.
- Forms: white is offered in every form from flakes to powder. Check which forms the supplier actually makes in red or pink.
- Availability: red and pink depend on smaller crops, so ask when they are produced and how much the plant can supply.
- Microbiology and residues: the same limits apply to every colour. Do not relax them for a specialist line.
Choosing between them
If you are not sure, start from what your customer sees. Which onion colour is best for my application works through common uses. Then ask for samples of each colour in the same form and compare them in the finished product, not just in the bag. The general guide on getting agri samples from India explains how to get representative ones.
Where we come in
We know which Mahuva plants run red and pink lines and when, so we can collect matched samples of all three colours for you. We then set a reference sample with the chosen supplier and check each shipment against it. Ask for a free sourcing review.