MONTORO

Montoro is a comune (municipality) in the province of Avellino near the border of the province of Salerno, Campania, Italy.

Inhabited since the Paleolithic era, it was populated by the Romans and subsequently subjected to the jurisdiction of Abellinum; in the mid-6th century AD a battle between the Goths and the Byzantines was also the scene.

However, the first certain information on its existence dates back to the period of Lombard domination, when it is mentioned among the possessions of the Gastaldato of Sanseverino.

Following the referendum on 3 December 2013, the municipality of Montoro was officially merged between Montoro Superiore and Montoro Inferiore.

Montoro, from “mons aureus” (monte d'oro), for the fertility of the soil and the richness of the springs, or from mons taurus because it rose at the foot of the mountain, formerly called by the Tarì, that is, the bull. Various ancient scrolls also read Montaureo, sometimes Montorio and rarely Mondoro.

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Description

The coppery onion of Montoro is an autochthonous variety from the area of the Montorese plain, between the provinces of Avellino and Salerno.

It is sown in late summer-early autumn and harvested in early summer. If kept cool in ventilated rooms, can it also be kept until March of the following year.

This bulb has allowed generations hungry for world conflicts to survive: “we ate bread, when it was there, with coppery Montoro onion”.

Of a slightly flattened globose shape, the Montoro coppery onion is covered with catafilli of a purple inside color shaded and coppery on the outside. It is sweet on the palate and intensely aromatic on the nose. It is excellent for any food preparation, sought after and appreciated by gourmets for its organoleptic qualities. It can be eaten either raw, in an innumerable variety of salads, cooked for the preparation of soups, sauces and side dishes or in the oven, seasoned with a light veil of oil and a pinch of pepper to enhance its aroma and flavor. It is widely used to season pasta with sauces such as the 'Ragù alla Genovese', typical of Campania cuisine.

The production area is between the provinces of Avellino and Salerno, in the territory of the Irno valley, centered in the municipalities of Montoro Inferiore and Superiore.

Today, this variety is at risk of disappearing due to the industrialization of agriculture.