Shallot of Romagna

Scalogno di Romagna, not to be confused with the French shallot most commonly displayed in supermarkets, is a typical product of the Province of Ravenna. It is a herbaceous garden plant, is a family member of the Liliaceae, and is propagated by bulbs or rather bulbils. In the name of the little bulb with the high-sounding name of Allium ascolanicum, university researchers were mobilized, ancient classical texts were consulted, a festival was organized in Riolo Terme (third weekend in July), and, most importantly, in 1997, Protected Geographical Identification (PGI) was obtained, which decreed its sovereign residence in a handkerchief of Romagna. Unlike the other Liliaceae-garlic and onion-shallots do not have flowers and therefore pollen exchange occurs between plants, and reproduction always occurs only by bulb. The Shallot of today, when analyzed, is the same as 2000 years ago.