The red torpedo onion is a sweet and pungent heirloom onion from Calabria, Italy. It can be eaten raw or cooked and is a seasonal delicacy. The onion’s flavor is affected by the soil it grows in, and it can be substituted with regular red or Vidalia onions.
The red torpedo onion is an heirloom onion native to Calabria, Italy, where it has been grown since before the birth of Christ. This onion has a long history for a reason: it has an incomparable flavor that has made it enduringly popular in the Mediterranean. These onions can be found for sale in some specialized markets and can even be grown in the home garden, although some people believe that the famous onions from Torpea, a town in Calabria, have the best flavour.
These onions look pretty much like soccer balls and are covered in a papery red to purple husk. The flesh of the onion is white, with a red border and extremely sweet. These onions are also very pungent, with a sharp note that balances out the sweet flavour. Because this onion doesn’t keep well, it’s generally a seasonal delicacy, only available when these vegetables ripen in mid-fall.
These onions have a mild flavor which makes them suitable for eating raw. Raw catfish onions can be added to salads, sandwiches and other dishes. Onions can also be pickled and used in a variety of ways, with some people enjoying a straight pickled red torpedo onion. Pickled onions can also be wedged and used as a garnish for a variety of dishes, and are not uncommon in pickled vegetable mixes in Italy.
Cooking brings out the natural sweetness of the red torpedo onion, caramelizing it lightly creates a very rich flavour. These onions can be used in soups, stews, sauces, and so on, and are also popular on pizza, grilled, and served as appetizers and stuffing.
Onions are profoundly affected by the soil in which they grow. Depending on the soil content, this onion can develop a more aggressive sulfurous flavor or can remain mild. Gardeners who want to grow these onions at home should try planting them in different environments to find the “sweet spot” in the garden where they will grow well and taste good. Onions need fertile, well-drained soil and at least six hours of sun a day to thrive, and should be planted after the last frost has passed.
If a recipe calls for a red torpedo onion and you’re having trouble finding one, you can use either a regular red onion or a Vidalia onion as a medium, because both of these onion cultivars are naturally sweet.
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