The Figueres onion is an

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

that is a non- hybridized bulb. It is somewhat flattened in shape with an outer purple skin and an interior of a paler color. It is highly appreciated for its smooth, sweet, soft texture, and around 200 grams in individual weight. As its name implies, it is typical of the

Figueres Figueres (, ; , es, Figueras, ) is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museu ...

and

Empordà Emporda (from the official name in ca, Empordà, , name in es, Ampurdán, ) is a natural and historical region of Catalonia, Spain, divided since 1936 into two ''comarques'', Alt Empordà and Baix Empordà. The city of Figueres, an important ...

region of

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...

. Of the 32,000 tonnes of onion produced in

each year, 60% consists of this native Figueres variety."La Figueres, the darling of Catalonian production"
fruittoday.com

Nutritional properties

It can help to expunge excess fluid in the body as it has very little sodium and potassium. It is a good source of

B vitamins B vitamins are a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism and synthesis of red blood cells. Though these vitamins share similar names (B1, B2, B3, etc.), they are chemically distinct compounds that often coexi ...

, such as

folic acid Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and ...

Cultivation

It is resistant to cold temperatures but requires a higher amount of sun to form the bulb. It should be planted between December and January, although depending on the weather can also be planted in February. It can easily succumb to the ills of monocrop production and drop heavily in quality, so it is best when rotated with other crops, not only for nutrition but also to prevent diseases. Another peculiarity is that it requires a dry environment and it is said in Empordà "Two days of

Tramontana Tramontana, Tramontane, or Tramuntana may refer to: Tramontana * "Tramontana", a short story by Gabriel García Márquez, in ''Strange Pilgrims'' * Tramontana (sports car), a Spanish sports car firm * Sebi Tramontana (born 1960), jazz trombonist m ...

(wind) are better than fertilizing".

Gastronomy

A feature that improves its taste, is to eat it raw (such as in a salad) but to not cut the onion with a knife and only use other elements of the dish to break it into pieces. The smooth, crisp flavor makes it popular to prepare fried or eaten directly and uncooked.

References

{{Allium Figueres Cuisine of Empordà Onion cultivars

Nutritional properties

Cultivation

Gastronomy

Related links

References