The Prime Minister has once again left onlookers shocked, and probably a little confused, but for once it wasn't what was coming out of his mouth, rather what was going into it.

While on a tour of a produce farm in Tasmania, Tony Abbott was seen to be munching on a raw onion - skin and all.

"Better than any other onions I've eaten in a long time," Mr Abbott was reported as saying.

Images of the odd onion-fest immediately began doing the rounds online, with one media outlet labelling Mr Abbott "The Minister for Onions."

Mr Abbott was touring Charlton Farm Produce near Devonport in Tasmania on Friday when all of a sudden, he picked up the onion and ate it skin-on merely commenting that it was delicious and not shedding a single tear.

The PM, who appeared to be grimacing slightly, but otherwise may as well have been eating an apple, took the onion in his hand, and casually chomped into it while watching the grading of the vegetable.

 

According to the Hobart's Mercury, owner of Charlton Farm Produce, David Addison said that Mr Abbott's impromptu taste-test took place during a general discussion about the brown onions.

"I may have said 'it's a shame they weren't peeled' and he just started eating it," Mr Addison said.

"It was just spontaneous and there weren't even any tears," he said.

As always there is a Costanza parallel for Tony Abbott. "You know George, that's an onion." https://t.co/t6IIgYbi72 pic.twitter.com/ylSVgJgVrd — Neil McMahon (@NeilMcMahon) March 13, 2015

The Onion writes a piece on Tony Abbott eating an onion and satire explodes. #auspol — Mikey Nicholson (@Mikey_Nicholson) March 13, 2015

tony abbott eating that onion is the PERFECT metaphor for something — nick nolton (@nicknolton) March 13, 2015

I've always said that Tony Abbott is a man of many layers. #onion #auspol — Gigs (@AndrewGigacz) March 13, 2015