Breme red onions

Prodotto Agroalimentare Tipico (PAT) – Traditional regional food product

The dolcissima represents one of the typical varieties cultivated in Breme. It is one of the short day onion varieties, native to southern Italy. Planted in summer and harvested in spring, Breme red onions are genetically well differentiated from other red onions. Its particular flat shape and purple colour reaches up to 2 kg in weight. Breme onions are listed in the MIPAAFT national register of varieties of agricultural and vegetable species and is part of the Arca del Gusto of Slow Food. Samples are stored in the seed bank at the plant germplasm in the University of Pavia. An enormous amount of work is involved in cultivating the onion: seeds are steeped in jute bags and later sown in nurseries. Following a short period of time, the plants are finally replanted in fields and into expanses of flood plains. Harvest season begins in June and lasts for two months. The finest bulbs are set apart and left to germinate and to later be replanted. They are characterised by a sweet flavour, excellent digestibility and crunchy texture, which all together make it the perfect ingredient for a multitude of traditional recipes and reinterpretations. Every year in mid-June, Breme houses a festival dedicated to its famous onion.