Lampascioni

PAT - Traditional Agricultural Food Product

Part of the Slow Food movement

Place of Origin

Whole Puglia

 

Lampascioni, also known as Cipolle Canine or Cipollacce, are typical herbaceous plants widely found in many areas of Puglia. They are a Traditional Agricultural Food Product (PAT) of Puglia and protected by the Slow Food movement.

Lampascioni are small wild onions of pink colour with a unique and unmistakable bitter taste.

The plant has purplish flowers that bloom from spring to late summer. The bulbs, that grow to a depth of about 10-20 cm, are picked up after they have grown in the ground for at least 4 or 5 years.

 

After they are picked up they are cleaned and boiled to partially eliminate the bitter taste. They are then placed in hermetically sealed glass containers and covered with extra virgin olive oil.

When in oil lampascioni can be enjoyed straight from the container, or added to salads or as side dish with meat.

They can also be bought fresh, but before being eaten, they need to be left in water for at least eight hours in order to lose some bitterness. They can be then boiled, fried or added to omelets.

Another way of cooking them is under the ashes. Once cooked they are cleaned and seasoned with extra virgin olive oil.