Neither garlic nor onion

Neither garlic nor onion
Magazine: April 2008

There is a good reason why the scallion from Romagna has never been found in its natural state: as it does not fl ower there is no chance of pollination between infl orescence of other plants. It is fundamental to keep apart bulbs from the previous year to plant to obtain a new production. They have a limited period of conservation. Due to these particular characteristics it is a plant of extreme genetic interest. Not fl owering, it does not exchange pollen and therefore does not exchange genes, so it has conserved its “genetic wealth” since it was imported into Europe; a 5000 year old “baggage”. The small bulb that grows exclusively in the provinces of Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena, Bologna obtained Protected Geographical Indication in 1997. The Scalogno di Romagna is neither garlic nor onion. It has a unique taste, stronger and more fl avoured than an onion and sweeter than garlic. Highly aromatic, it blends well with other foods exalting them and gratifying the taste buds.