Isernia’s white onion by Orominerva: a pleasure for the common good

From the land to the table, passing through hands that have so much to give: we have undertaken a new challenge and we have done so in our own reality, which is no longer so unknown. In Molise there are many resources to give credit to, we have always known this because we live here and we want all that is beautiful in these places to go beyond our borders.

This is what Orominerva is working on. We contribute to enhancing the development of our territory through renewed goodness, which originates in the quality of exceptional raw materials; we do that with concrete actions, which adhere to two constants of our production philosophy, environmental sustainability and social integration. 

The union between the two has resulted in something incredible, the latest arrival at Orominerva: The Isernia’s white onion.

The Isernia’s white onion, preserved in our Evo oil, is an harmony of exclusive flavours, few but delicious and natural. As is our habit, we start from a raw material of the highest quality and, in this case, unique, the white onion from Isernia, which we season with our extra virgin olive oil. The taste is intense, vivid and delicious, absolutely not strong. Our onion, in effect, has a sweet taste, marvelling at the first taste and satisfying subsequent ones. The aromas are delicate, light and when jarred with our EVO oil it creates a range of nuances to which you give up with pleasure. 

Pleasure in every sense of the word. Because our white onion in oil didn't end up there by chance...

Cooperative L.A.I. and Orominerva: how our White Onion of Isernia is created

Some raw materials are grown directly by us; for others we choose local producers or those from neighbouring regions that we know and whose know-how we share. This time we have gone one step further, we have opted for a special collaboration, which gives a whole new flavour to the white onion in oil.

The white onions from Isernia come from the L.A.I. Cooperative, where L.A.I. stands for Lavoro Anch'Io (I work too). We had the honour of meeting the young people who are part of the cooperative, enjoying their company and seeing how enthusiastically and passionately they devote themselves to growing this bulb. These are disabled young people, who for many years have been the soul of a reality founded on work as an educational tool and not as an end to the production of a product. By cultivating the land, our friends can benefit from all the intangible values that nature is able to transmit; they observe, discover, sow, harvest, with a desire to do which gives exceptional results in terms of harvest. 

Agriculture, like the other activities carried out by the L.A.I. boys, is aimed at job placement and improving the quality of life, an experience that, through social integration, aims at collective well-being. 

We met the Cooperative on the road to the common good. At first the guys entrusted us with the production of their jars, then it was our turn to make a decision: we bet on their white onion, a raw material which, together with our oil and processed according to our recipe, is the perfect synthesis of Orominerva goodness.

This is how the Orominerva White Onion of Isernia was born: tasting it is a pleasure that gratifies the senses, but above all the soul. 

The Isernia’s white onion is among the best varieties

This new collaboration is particularly close to our hearts because integration, in this case, means biodiversity. Promoting knowledge of our onion is fundamental for preserving a product that is the identity of the town of Isernia and it has represented an important source of wealth for the community in the past. Above all, it has all the qualities to rank among the best Italian varieties.

We would like that to questions such as 'How many types of onion exist?' and 'Which are the best onions?' the most authoritative sources could answer on the subject by mentioning our white onion, which has organoleptic characteristics, properties and ah history that are in no way lesser of the most famous ones. 

It is a fresh onion grown in an area located at around 500 metres above sea level. It is white in colour, flattened in shape, it has a sweet taste and a delicate smell. Harvesting is done strictly by hand, in accordance with tradition, with a hoe or chisel and it takes place in June, a very important month for the town of Isernia. In fact, it is during the 28th and 29th of June that the Saints Peter and Paul fair, known as the Onion Fair, is held.  

The festival is very old, and is even mentioned in a 13th-century parchment. About three centuries later, in the Bagliva Chapthers, the presence of the bulb at the fair is mentioned; it is written that vendors owed a payment of 3 grana for 'each onion remains' and, to don’t harm local producers, it was possible to prohibit to external traders from selling more than one foodstuff, including onions and garlic. 

The reason why the Isernia’s onion fair is associated with the apostle Peter seems to depend on an ancient legend, well explained on the official website of the municipality of Isernia.

Legends and traditions complete the cycle of perfect taste. In our Isernia’s white onion, there is everything. Motivations and feelings exist supporting a quality that, as always, is undisputed. Very few ingredients, no preservatives, just the authentic and unique goodness of one of the most representative products of our territory.

Certain values do not deserve to remain unexpressed: with the Orominerva Isernia’s white onion we have enclosed them in a jar and made them shareable through an evolved experience of pleasure.