Calabria Fresh Produce

CALABRIAN FRESH PRODUCE

The red Tropea onion and aubergine are two of the most famous Calabrian fresh vegetables.  The red Tropea onion was first grown in the little town called Tropea where its name was derived.  However, it is now growing in other provinces including Cosenza, Vibo, and Catanzaro.  Since Calabria is a protected region, the cultivation of the red Tropea onion is just as protected.  The onion is harvested at 3 phases including sweet and tender baby onion, fresh onion, and mature onion.  The first process in its cycle displays whitish pink color and usually used as a salad ingredient.  The second phase is as sweet as the first but displays a reddish-purple color and usually used in lamb or pork dishes as well as partnered to pecorino cheese.  The final phase is also sweet but not as tender as the first 2 phases.  It is dry, crunchy, and usually used in making onion pate or jam spread on toasted bread.

As a different specialty, the aubergine is considered the queen of vegetables in Italy.  It grows in the dry, sandy soil of Calabria, which helps in giving its pulp a distinct flavor.  The famous Alla Parmigiana in Calabria is always accompanied with pecorino cheese and aubergines.  The Italians, specifically the Calabrians cook aubergine in various ways.  It can be spicy, roasted, sweet, stuffed, and sour when mixed in pasta sauces.  It is also great when fried and partnered to egg and tomato.  With the many ways of using aubergine in Italian cuisine, it is often unrecognized as a vegetable but a unique ingredient.