Funny Valentine: Taste testing chocolate-covered onions

Looking for a unique chocolate treat? Want to send a message? Your answer is at the Reading Terminal Market.

Mueller’s Chocolates has been selling sweet treats at Reading Terminal for three generations and likes to be a bit out of the ordinary.

Glenn Mueller says a special request born in the 1980’s has become a staple.

“At the time, there was a local TV show called ‘Double Muppets, Hold the Onions’ and the writers for the show came down and asked my folks to make a chocolate-covered onion for the beginning of their show,” he recalls, “and it just stuck.”

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The onion, which costs $5, is covered either in white or milk chocolate and is, depending on the holiday, decorated in different colors.

What samplers said

So, what does this concoction taste like? I asked some passersby to sample the white-chocolate version.

Danita McDaniels of West Philadelphia agreed to be a guinea pig, even though she doesn’t go for onions on her food.

“It’s kind of sweet,” said McDaniels. “Tastes like chocolate and onion … I can’t stand them [onions], and this is, this is good.”

Not everyone agreed.

Dave Bronstein, who works at the market, took a big bite and winced as if he were in pain.

“Terrible. It’s not good. I need a bag,” he declared before downing a whole bottle of water to rinse the taste from his mouth.

Mueller’s also offers chocolates shaped like anatomically correct hearts, lungs, ears and noses for those who are less adventurous.

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