ONION BLOSSOMS. BtVS Intertext/Allusion.
An onion blossom (also known as a flowering onion) is a deep-fried sweet onion appetizer served at the Bronze, and one of Spike’s favorite human foods. As he explains to Xander in “Triangle”:
They [the Bronze] have chicken wings too. Also a sort of flower-shaped thing they make from an onion. It’s brilliant.
Later in the same episode, Spike tries to suggest to Olaf the Troll, who has wandered into the Bronze in search of food and drink, that he might enjoy this “onion thing” rather than the babies Olaf was hoping for as a meal.
Spike reconsiders his patronage of the Bronze in “Crush” when the flowering onion is taken off the menu after renovations made necessary by Olaf’s rampage.
Much later, as Spike and Andrew are on their way to reconnoiter Caleb’s mission in “Empty Places,” Spike expounds to Andrew on just what makes an onion blossom so unique:
See, the genius of it is, you soak it in ice water for an hour so it holds its shape. Then you deep-fry it root-side up for about five minutes.
For an onion blossom recipe see http://southwestcuisine.com/appetizer4.htm.