Torpedo Red Onions
Estimated Inventory, bunch : 47.00
This item was last sold on : 06/13/25
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.
| Stake Chophouse & Bar | Coronado CA | 619-522-0077 |
| Fort Oak | San Diego CA | 619-795-6901 |
| Campfire | Carlsbad CA | 760-637-5121 |
| Lauberge Del Mar | Del Mar CA | 858-259-1515 |
| Make Stuff Good | San Diego CA | 949-547-9470 |
| University Club | San Diego CA | 619-234-5200 |
| Vertex - Merryfield Row | San Diego CA | 619-405-8950 |
| Park Hyatt Aviara | Carlsbad CA | 760-448-1234 |
| Estancia Adobe | San Diego CA | 858-550-1000 |
| Fifty Two Remedies | San Diego San Diego | 858-707-7016 |
| The Miller's Table | Oceanside CA | 310-694-4091 |
| Chef Drew Mc Partlin | San Diego CA | 619-990-9201 |
| Barleymash | San Diego CA | 619-255-7373 |
| Little Victory Wine Market | Carlsbad CA | 310-738-3380 |
| Inn at Rancho Santa Fe | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-381-8289 |
| Asti Ristorante | San Diego CA | 619-232-8844 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Torpedo Red Onions. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Cooking Books |
|
Red Onions Cooked in Orange Juice |
| Nourished Kitchen |
|
Onion Gratin |
| Gastronomy |
|
Sweet Onion and Anchovy Pastries |
