Torpedo Red Onions
Estimated Inventory, bunch : 38.00
This item was last sold on : 04/18/25
Description/Taste
An Italian heirloom variety, its skin is reddish-purple in color. Elongated in shape, the bulbs resemble a torpedo or petite football. Its flesh is sweet, mild and tender with multiple sets of translucent purple and white colored rings that give it the appearance of a shallot more than an onion.
Seasons/Availability
Red Torpedo onions are available mid winter through late spring.
Current Facts
These torpedo onions are the younger crop, full of succulence and brighter flavors rather than the mature onions that stay in the earth longer.
Applications
Torpedo onions are sweet enough that they can be eaten raw. Cooking brings out the natural sweetness of the torpedo onion best. A slow sautée to caramelize the creates a rich flavor that can allow it to enhance marinades or dressings. It can be utilized as an addition to pizzas or an accoutrement to both fish and meat dishes. Torpedo onions are also an ideal pickling onion.
Geography/History
The torpedo onion is native to Torpea, a town in Calabria, Italy, where it has been cultivated since B.C. records. It does not have a large commercial market; it can mostly be found at farmers markets as it is grown as a specialty crop in mild climates that are similar to its Mediterranean origins. The soil is also crucial to the torpedo onion's flavor and productivity. The Italian native torpedo onion is known as Rossa di Tropea and it has a protected registered D.O.C. (Designation of Origin) within the European Union.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| Barleymash | San Diego CA | 619-255-7373 |
| Pali Wine Company | San Diego CA | 310-893-0038 |
| Royal Polaris Sportfishing | San Diego CA | 619-226-8030 |
| Rancho Valencia | Del Mar CA | 858-756-1123 |
| Fifty Two Remedies | San Diego San Diego | 858-707-7016 |
| University Club | San Diego CA | 619-234-5200 |
| New Wave Bagel | San Diego CA | 415-533-4525 |
| Miho | San Diego CA | 619-365-5655 |
| Campfire | Carlsbad CA | 760-637-5121 |
| Kingfisher | San Diego CA | 619-861-8074 |
| Animae | San Diego CA | 619-925-7908 |
| BFD-Big Front Door | San Diego CA | 619-723-8183 |
| Choi's | San Diego CA | 858-900-1224 |
| Tribute Pizza | San Diego CA | 858-220-0030 |
| Raised By Wolves | San Diego CA | 916-207-1076 |
| Catania La Jolla | La Jolla CA | 619-884-5350 |
| Make Stuff Good | San Diego CA | 949-547-9470 |
| Harvest Kitchen | Vista CA | 619-709-0938 |
| Plant Based Meals | San Diego CA | 858-255-0590 |
| Green Acres Campus | San Diego CA | 858-450-9907 |
| The Kitchen at MCASD | La Jolla CA | 619-894-2051 |
| Estancia Adobe | San Diego CA | 858-550-1000 |
| Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering | San Diego CA | 619-436-7006 |
| Juniper & Ivy | San Diego CA | 858-481-3666 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Torpedo Red Onions. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Nourished Kitchen |
|
Onion Gratin |
| Cooking Books |
|
Red Onions Cooked in Orange Juice |
| Gastronomy |
|
Sweet Onion and Anchovy Pastries |
