In Puglia they’re stewed, in Basilicata they put them in salad. Lampascioni are a bulbous plant quite common in southern Italy, especially in Basilicata and Puglia. In Puglian cuisine they are cooked with pancetta, cherry tomatoes and Pecorino cheese, in Basilicata, lampascioni salad is synonymous with Christmas. Whether served as a delicious appetizer or as a fragrant side course, this dish is always on the holiday menu.
What are lampascioni and where do they come from?
Lampascioni, or grape hyacinth, belong to the Liliaceae family, which includes other plants widely used in the kitchen such as asparagus, garlic, onions, leeks, shallots and chives, but also some flowers such as the lily, tulip, lily of the valley, and hyacinth, to name a few. The bulbs grow in the wild, although in Puglia they are cultivated in some areas. They’re similar to onions but smaller, egg-shaped, and white with pinkish streaks. With a slightly doughy consistency, their distinctive feature is their bitter aftertaste: both the curse and the delight of those who cook and eat them. You either love them or you hate them. Apart from their taste, we should also mention their nutritional properties. First of all, they are rich in water and therefore very diuretic, and have very few calories – only 7.5 per ounce – so they’re perfect for those on a slimming and/or detoxifying diet. They also contain a good dose of potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron. In ancient times they were also famous for a particular aphrodisiac effect, but no scientific evidence has come to prove this.
Lampascioni salad, step by step
It’s not hard to make lampascioni salad, you just need to know a few tricks to be successful. First of all, the bulbs must be trimmed, removing the outer layer. The ideal would be to leave them soaking in water for a few hours, some say even a whole day, remembering to change it at least once. This will remove some of the bitter taste. After they’re cleaned comes the most time-consuming part, making an incision at the base of the bulb. In the meantime bring some water to a boil, add salt and cook the lampascioni for at least 10 minutes. Drain them, change the water, bring it to a boil and put the bulbs back in. This serves to eliminate as much of the plant’s bitter aftertaste as possible. After another 15 minutes, the lampascioni will be ready to be seasoned with oil, salt, chili pepper, chopped parsley and a tablespoon of vinegar.