The sweet red onions from coastal southern Calabria are said to be so tasty and mild that people eat them raw. I tried that and it's true, but it makes for a rather pungent snack all the same.
At the end of May 2024 we were driving along the south coast of Calabria when we came to a gas station/rest area that had a wide variety of Calabrian goodies. I bought a 1 kg bag of the red onions, despite having no way to cook them.
A few days later in Sorrento I had my opportunity! The locavore restaurant across the street from our hotel became my local HQ for exploring and recording the foodways of Campania. The manager took an interest in my project.
After a few days, I brought in two of my onions, and I asked how best to prepare one of them. She took the onion and brought it back in a few minutes as part of a Neapolitan Tomato Salad. It was delicious. She asked about my other onion and I said that I'd heard they could be eaten raw. She agreed, so I peeled it and took a bite. She was right!
When I have a recipe that calls for them, I substitute Vidalia onions if I can find them, or else I don't make it.
See also Cipollini d'Ivrea and Lampuscioni.
IGP Red Onions of Tropea, Calabria