- Food & Wine
Cipolla Rossa di Breme
The first mention of Breme Red Onions dates to the 10th century, to the period in which the famous abbey which became one of the most important in Europe was founded. It was right here in the vegetable gardens of Breme abbey that the monks began growing a type of onion which has been subject to many selections but is still a precious example of biodiversity. Breme Red Onions are deep red in colour, flattened in shape and large weighing 600-700 grams and sometimes even more than 2 kg. The first onion growing consortium was set up in Breme in 1943 with 200 members growing this onion on 20 hectares of land. After a decade of crisis, in 1982 the Breme Red Onion Festival was set up to promote and safeguard red onion farming. It is a successful event which has relaunched farming and given thousands of visitors the chance to enjoy its sweet and crunchy flavour which is ideal for many dishes such as omelettes, salads, risottos, soups, savoury flans and meat and fish sauces. Production zone: The Breme Red Onion production zone is exclusive to one part of the Breme area.