Red onion

A red onion

Cross sections of red onions

Sliced red onions

Red onions, are cultivars of the onion with purplish red skin and white flesh tinged with red.

These onions tend to be medium to large in size and have a mild to sweet flavor. They are often consumed raw, grilled or lightly cooked with other foods, or added as a decoration to salads. They tend to lose their color when cooked.

Red onions are available throughout the year. The red color comes from anthocyanidins such as cyanidin. Red onions are high in flavonoids.^[1]

They can be stored 3 to 4 months at room temperature.^[2]

Red onion of Turda

The red onion from Turda (Cluj County, Central Romania) (Romanian: "Ceapa de Turda") is a local variety of red onion with light sweeter taste and particular aroma. The area of cultivation encompass the lower Arieş valley and the middle Mureş valley.

Turda onion bulbs are traditionally intertwined into long strings (1–2 m) for marketing purposes and can be found at the traditional markets all over central Romania. "Turda Red Onion" is usually served fresh, as a salad or part of mixed salads and especially as a compulsory garnish for the traditional bean-and-smoked ham soups.

Red onion of Tropea

Rossa di Tropea for sale in Italy

The red onion from Tropea, Italy, (Italian: "Cipolla Rossa di Tropea") is a particular variety of red onion which grows in a small area of Calabria in southern Italy named "Capo Vaticano" near the city of Tropea.^[3] This onion has a stronger and sweeter aroma and the inner part is juicier and whiter than other red onions and it is possible to make a jam with it. In March 2008, the European Union registered the Protected Designation of Origin mark for the red onions produced in this particular area.

Wethersfield red onion

In the United States, one of the most prominent cultivars of red onion was grown in Wethersfield, Connecticut, and was a major source of onions for New England until the late 1800s.^[4][5]

References

1. "Flavonoid and Carbohydrate Contents in Tropea Red Onions: Effects of Homelike Peeling and Storage - Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (ACS Publications)". Pubs.acs.org. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
2. eHow » Food & Drink » Cooking & Baking » Cooking Basics » Selecting an Onion. By Manish Paul. Retrieved on 11 September 2009.
3. Friday 6 August 2004 16:39 (2004-08-06). "Flavour of the Med - 6 August 2004". CatererSearch. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
4. "A Great Trade Vanished. How Connecticut's Onion Monopoly Was Lost", New York Times, 2 June 1889
5. "Wethersfield, CT, and Onions", Yankee Magazine, August 1993

External links

• Onion Cultivation at the World Vegetable Center
• The red onion of Tropea (Italian)
• Vacanze in Calabria: The red onion of Tropea