“The soil is very fertile in oil, wheat, aniseed, cumin, almonds, fodder and legumes. It should be noted that among the crops, where the agricultural class benefits the most is that of onions, highly sought after even from distant regions, being a special product of a part of this soil, which makes them preferable to those produced by other lands". The quote is taken from “History of the Palatine Church of Acquaviva delle Fonti from 1779 to 1875″, testimony published in 1875 of the agricultural vocation of this part of the territory which it is part of the metropolitan city of Bari and famous for the cultivation of onion. Acquaviva delle Fonti is in fact linked to the wide availability of fresh water, which flows clear from a perennial underground aquifer: then there is the quality of the soils of this corner of Puglia, well drained and aerated, deep, rich in potassium, with a medium, tending to silty.
Ideal characteristics for the cultivation of the typical red onion, SlowFood presidium product. Renowned for its sweetness, the Acquaviva onion is recognizable not only for its color but also for its typical flattened shape: a large disc 2-3 centimeters thick, up to a span wide, and weighing about 500 grams . Its color is, to be precise, between carmine red and purplish and lightens, towards the inside, until it becomes completely white. Even the cultivation takes place in respect of the ancient tradition and in a completely natural way: sown in September, with the moon waning, the Apulian onion is harvested from the first days of July until August.
However, the cultivation of the Acquaviva onion is limited to the territory of the Municipality, and its still manual cultivation means that the average yield per hectare is much lower than the national average: 200 quintals against the approximately 300 quintals of the national average. By keeping chemical interventions to a minimum, an additional dose of work in the field becomes necessary: weeding and weeding (manual weeding of the rows) must be frequent and this is also reflected in the cost of the final product. The high cost and production difficulties have made it necessary to supervise an agri-food institution like SlowFood, especially after the thefts from these small local producers have exponentially increased in the last period, by thieves who smell the business , given that the red onion is an increasingly sought-after and valuable product.
“The Acquaviva red onion is an important resource for the area – he explains Marcello Longo, head of the Slow Food Presidium – and as such it should be defended. Once again, it is necessary for the institutions to stand alongside small producers and help them deal with this enormous problem, for example by imposing checks on all bills of goods traveling in the region or by organizing patrols by the armed forces that check the fields. In the name of the commitment of the small producers of the Presidium to guarantee a quality product, grown according to traditional methods and strict regulations, the company too should not only respect this important heritage, but protect it in every aspect, including safety”.
THE RECIPE: ACQUAVIVA DELLE FONTI RED ONION CALZONE
For the pasta: flour, oil, salt, water.
For the filling: Acquaviva onion, ricotta forte (akuànde), eggs, pecorino cheese.
Preparation: finely slice the onion and cook it over a low heat with oil and salt in a pan with a lid until the water in the onions is absorbed, let the cooked onion cool down and add the ricotta forte, eggs and pecorino, mixing everything until to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Pour the flour into a fountain and put the oil and a glass of warm water in the centre. Mix the ingredients and knead for about 15 minutes. Divide the dough into two parts and roll them out.
Grease a baking tray with a little oil and line it with the pastry, cutting off any excess. Pour the mixture inside and level it. Roll out the second part of the pastry and cover the preparation by pinching the edges well. Bake in a preheated oven (180°C) for about an hour.
