Tropea onion: the Calabrian red gold
There is a vegetable that from a humble ingredient of the Calabrian peasant tradition, has now become a real star of the kitchen: it is the Tropea Red Onion, arrived in Calabria about 2700 years ago with the Phoenicians.
The historical production area is the territory of Capo Vaticano, but the name "Rossa di Tropea" comes from the fact that shipments of onions all over the world took place from the railway station of Tropea. The combination of the local microclimate and the quality of the soil has given the Tropea onion a delicious, light and refined taste.
The red of Tropea can be eaten in various ways: with pasta, in sauces, to enrich any type of salad, or as a sweet and sour appetizer. With Tropea onion you can also prepare tasty omelettes, jams and marmalades.
Tropea onion: curative properties
Besides being very good, according to recent scientific studies, the onion of Tropea is an aphrodisiac, antiseptic, anaesthetic, diuretic and emollient.
But that's not all, in fact it seems to be effective also for treating rheumatism, headaches, abscesses, warts, boils, regulating the cholesterol level in the blood, avoiding colds and flu, ward off the risk of cancer, promote biliary secretion, fight diabetes, protect from insect bites and even preserve from aging.
The red colour is given by quercetin, a precious antioxidant which stimulates the immune system and which, together with vitamin C, helps to protect the capillaries and connective tissue.
Today the Tropea onion is used and loved by the greatest national and international chefs and even by Queen Elizabeth of England, who according to some revelations would have 200 kilos of Tropea onions shipped every year!
