The quality onion
Quality onion
The Roscoff onion: portrait of a bulb unlike any other
The Roscoff onion is distinguished at first glance by a beautiful pink to coppery pink tunic. But it is above all for its taste qualities that our favorite bulb stands out.
Less spicy than other onions, Roscoff onions can be eaten raw or cooked. Its crunchy flesh and fruity flavors enhance the plates of raw vegetables. Its sweetness is accentuated during cooking when the sweet notes are revealed: the Roscoff onion confit is a classic!
This unique taste makes Roscoff onion a gastronomic staple. Adopted by gourmets, it is also honored by great chefs.
The Roscoff onion is the expression of a terroir and know-how.
Like a good wine, the Roscoff onion is the expression of a terroir and a know-how. The production area is limited to 24 communes in Haut-Léon. The silty soils of this vegetable-growing area, the mild oceanic climate and the regularity of natural watering (rain, if you prefer) make it possible to obtain an onion that is not very pungent, without irrigation.
The onion can be direct sown in the field or planted in clods at the seedling stage. Producers can use farm-saved seed and improve the variety by selection.
From planting (March-April) to harvesting (August-September), the producer ensures the good development of the crop and adapts to the hazards.
Roscoff onions are delicate and should be handled with care. The traditional method of preparation by hand preserves the onions and guarantees good conservation.
In the heart of summer, the Roscoff onion harvest comes after drying in the field. The bulb being fragile, all precautions are taken during the collection, manual or mechanical, to avoid shocks. Each onion is then prepared by hand to be cleaned and trimmed (root cutting).
The 5 cm tail left on each bulb limits the oxygenation of the germ. This is the secret of the long natural storage (without anti-germination) of Roscoff onions. Maison Quéméner offers onions in the traditional form of onion braids, but also in bulk and in 5 kg mesh bags.
An authentic product
All Maison Quéméner onions have the designation "Onion de Roscoff AOP"
In 2013, the European label of the Controlled Designation of Origin (PDO) confirmed the process initiated by farmers to have the specificities of this production recognized. To obtain this designation for their crops, farmers must comply with precise specifications.
Whoever wants to produce Roscoff onion! Similar names are sometimes used, but only the presence of the PDO logo (pink, of course) guarantees an authentic Roscoff PDO onion. You can't go wrong when you buy from Maison Quéméner: we only produce Roscoff PDO onions!