Onions of Tropea Kg. 2,5

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Scilla | A lovely traditional beach town, famous for its swordfish sandwiches and homes springing out of the water. It’s just over an hour’s drive south from Tropea, whilst there’s also a direct coastal train between the two. In Tropea, the onion harvest is still done by hand and begins at the end of June, continuing throughout July. Traditionally, red onions are dried and woven "in braids", this is how they are preserved until the next harvest. Health benefits Tropea's train station ( Google Maps) is in the new town, about a 15-minute walk from the historical centre. It's got daily services along the coastline, as well as to Napoli (4 hours) Rome (5 hours) and Salerno (3.5 hours). You can even arrive by train from Sicily! Although we had a car, we did look with envy at the train’s coastline-hugging route, as it would offer some gorgeous scenery to savour from the window seat. However, not having a car would make independently reaching several beaches near Tropea very difficult. Tropea red onion is the name given to the red onion grown in Calabria and produced between Briatico and Capo Vaticano (in the province of Vibo Valentia). The story goes that it was imported by the Phoenicians over 2,000 years ago and still today the Calabrians are thankful because it has now become the undisputed protagonist of the Costa Viola tour: on the one hand the crystal clear sea, on the other its unparalleled scent that comes strong and clear from the soil to the nostrils. Its main feature is the sweetness probably due to the stable and mild climate in winter, and the proximity of the sea, plus the quality of the soil.

Want some snorkeling action? This boat trip takes place on a rubber zodiac-style boat with shade, and includes the use of snorkeling equipment.

The recipe for caramelized red Tropea onions

Spiaggia Michelino, Marinella Di Zambrone, and Spiaggia di Riaci | These are just a selection of stunning beaches less than 15-minutes drive away, and you can find out which are the best fit for your itinerary and travel style in this post: The Best Beaches in Tropea Looking to see the best secret beaches in the Tropea area? This Airbnb Experience takes you to several different secluded Tropea beaches along the Coast of the Gods. You can’t miss the sanctuary! Visit the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell’Isola di Tropea She has a trained palate, but it is very hard not to be fooled. Tropea’s original red onion is not only sweet, it has a pleasant, delicate herbal flavor and is neither pungent nor sour,” says Pugliese. Once you reach the beach, you'll discover a paradise of sun, sand, and sea. Whether you choose to swim, sunbathe, or simply unwind with a good book, Tropea's main beach offers an idyllic setting for an unforgettable day by the sea.

The red can also be eaten raw accompanied with a little pecorino cheese and makes an excellent, if unusual, lunch. Each week Francesco Calabro drives his lorry from Calabria to Rome to sell premium red onions that grow along the coast around Tropea, a clifftop town on Italy’s southern tip. What makes them great is not just the taste but their versatility in the local cuisine and the many different ways they can be cooked and tasted. Red onions (also known as purple or blue onions in some mainland European countries) are cultivars of the onion ( Allium cepa), and have purplish-red skin and white flesh tinged with red. They are most commonly used in cooking, but the skin has also been used as a dye. [1] Personally, we love to travel southern Italy in September, crossing over into mid-October, and that would be the ideal time to visit Tropea. To avoid crowds, visits in late May and June would also be worthwhile but be mindful that temperatures may not be at 'beach ready' levels the earlier you arrive.Known for their amazing sweetness and aroma, the origins of the Tropea onion are largely unknown, but they almost certainly didn’t begin life on the Tyrrhenian coast. There’s a consensus among food historians that the onions probably arrived on the Italian peninsula via the Phoenicians and Greeks, who sailed and traded across much of the Mediterranean sea some 3,000 years ago. By the medieval period, Tropea had well and truly claimed the bright red allium as its own – numerous accounts from this period refer to red onions from Tropea. Though the onions grow all over the region, the sandy soil and more moderate climate near the coast produces the sweetest onions of the bunch. A good Tropea onion is far, far sweeter than your average red onion, but contrary to popular opinion, this isn’t because they have a higher sugar content. In actual fact, they have a much lower pyruvic acid content, which makes them much less harsh and pungent and lets the natural sugars shine through. According to the locals, the sign of a good Cipolla Rossa di Tropea is that you can eat it like an apple!

In case of a cold, cough or sore throat, locals recommend cutting an onion in half and placing the two pieces at night on the bedside table, close to the nose, to inhale the therapeutic scent while sleeping. This method apparently also helps to combat insomnia. Due to its unique position of viewpoint overlooking the sea, Tropea played an important role, in Roman times, under the rule of the Saracens, and especially under the Normans and the Aragonese.

More Meat Pasta Recipes

Visiting Capo Vaticano is one of the most popular things to do in Tropea. This cliffside town south of Tropea is home to some of the most pristine beaches in all of Calabria. In Calabria and most of Southern Italy, vegetable based pasta dishes are especially popular in summer, when the heat makes eating heavier meat sauces less appetizing. Calabrians would normally eat fileja Tropeana as a 'first course' or primo. However, it make a delicious lunch or light weeknight meal. What does Tropeana mean? If you’re daring, you can try Tropea onion gelato at Gelati Tonino on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. (Don’t expect it to be delicious.) If you prefer, replace the lemon juice with two tablespoons of white wine vinegar and you’ll achieve the same sweet and sour contrast in the onion jam.

Yes, you can do the typical Italian thing of paying for a chair and having access to facilities — but there is a large area that is completely open to the public. And I liked this. It felt a lot more casual than other Italian beach towns. Belvedere Piazza del Cannone | Not the best viewpoint, but this nice open space has benches and a couple of places to have a drink and a good view of the Sanctuary. Find it here.Would you rather visit on a tour? You can book a Reggio Calabria and Scilla tour here. Scilla is almost like a baby Tropea. Visit Scilla We’ve done the hard work for you and, based on our travel experience and time in town, and personally reviewed thousands of options to curate this article with all the best accommodation in Tropea for every travel style and type of budget.