The name
In Egypt, onions were an object of worship - They symbolized eternity, and were buried along with their Pharaohs. The Egyptians saw eternal life in the anatomy of the onion because of its circle-within-a-circle structure.
That’s how The Onion Project got its name. It aims to uncover the many layers behind a recipe, its circles and new directions, and how it’s passed on to other people.
Every time we eat something we really enjoy, we reflect on why. The use of good and fresh ingredients is definitely one of the reasons, but it doesn’t stop there. How many times did you waste nice ingredients in a recipe because you were not in a good mood? Cooking is deeply connected to our emotions.
So what makes a meal so special and unique? It’s about sharing - a moment, a story, a feeling – but also about the context in which the meal is experienced and how that makes you feel. That’s why The Onion Project is interested in bringing people together around a table to encourage deep and honest connections – to food, to memories and to other people.
The host
Carolina Paoletti is a Berlin-based chef and a former architect. She was born in a half Italian, half Lebanese family in São Paulo - Brazil, so food has always been a special subject for her. This project was born out of her desire to develop a deeper connection to her roots and childhood memories. Being in a foreign country made her value even more the emotional sense of food and community. She believes that food has the power of transporting us to a safe place.
