Lampascioni are a gift from nature, reserved for the most patient and skilled farmers. You don't harvest lampascioni, you forage them—they grow naturally, not cultivated. While their vibrant purple flowers are easy to spot, the bulbs are buried 5 to 10 centimetres deep in the earth. Special tools are used to carefully extract them without causing damage.
The flavour of lampascioni preserves their wild character. Unlike common pearl onions, their taste is more rustic and subtly bitter. Harvesting and preparing them in jars takes time and care: each bulb is hand-washed and cleaned with a paring knife, blanched in water and vinegar, and cured for several days to reduce their bitterness. Preserved in oil with the traditional Apulian recipe of mint and chilli, lampascioni are perfect for an aperitivo or tossed in salads.
