Tropea was one of the wonderful towns we visited on our drive through Calabria. Cipolla di Tropea, or Tropea onions are a particular type of red onion which grows in a small area of Calabria named Capo Vaticano, near Tropea.
In 2008 the European Union registered the Protected Designation of Origin mark for red onions grown in this particular area.
We saw them on sale everywhere as we walked through the town. I love these onions and would dearly love to have taken some with us, but I didn’t think they would like to be sitting in our car for a couple of weeks.
When I am in Italy I don’t buy any other type of onion. They are not as strong as regular red onions and are delicious sliced finely in salads. They are also great baked in the oven, by themselves or mixed with other vegetables.
Look out for them, you won’t be disappointed. I am yet to discover them in Australia, but I keep looking.