Curious vegetable??

02/22/2010 - 06:14

I was shopping in my local branch of Conad when in the vegetable section I saw what looked like bulbs, small and with a papery covering with a small bulb like sprout of green at the top. I know that bulbs in general are poisonous, and I have never seen anything like this before. I wrote down the name, but cannot find it in any dictionary. I hope one of you out there can tell me what LAMPIGIONI are? And what you do with them!

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I had no idea of what this vegetable was, so I made a little research on the web.. anyway, I learnt that they are called "Lampagioni" (not lampigioni) and are used like onions. In Southern Italy they are also called "cipollacci selvatici" (wild onions as Dylano said) they have a bitter taste so they are usually made in oil, or cooked with water and vinegar. I found a recipe here, but it is in . (as I clicked on the link it asked me to print the page, but you can cancel it)  TRANSLATION (made by myself so ask for any clarifications or odd expressions :p) :  Dosi per 4 porzioni - Difficoltà Facile - Serves 4 - Easy to made Ingredienti 600g lampagioni poco aceto ( vinegar) olio (oil) sale (salt) pepe (pepper) Preparazione Mondare bene i lampagioni togliendo tutte le incrostazioni di terra e la pellicina più esterna. Lavarli bene in acqua corrente quindi metterli a cuocere in acqua calda - Cut the lampagioni and remove mud and the external sheet. Wash them carefully, then put them in a saucepan filled with hot water and cook them. Cambiare l'acqua di cottura più volte per essere certi che l'amarognolo del lampagione venga eliminato. - Change the hot water more than once, so to remove the bitter taste of lampagioni. Salate quindi l'ultima acqua di cottura e finire di cuocere. - Add salt to the last water that you can now use to cook them Affinché possano essere mangiati in insalata bisogna farli raffreddare e condirli semplicemente con olio e poco aceto. - if you prefer to eat them with a salad, allow to cool and then add oil and vinegar. Si possono mangiare anche caldi conditi con olio e pepe nero. - if you love their bitter taste, you can  simply add oil and black pepper and eat them while warm.

 thats what they generally call them around Puglia which is the "main area where these are eaten. they are great have a slightly pinkish flesh.And hopefully i will not be beaten alive for saying that pickled in good vinegar they  beat pickled onions (although that is what they are)