Traditional Foods of Puglia Italy-Cooking Lampascioni Hyacinth Bulbs
In the market in Syracuse we came across a traditional food that is common in Puglia, though less so here in Sicily – 
lampascioni. Similar in appearance to little onions, lampascioni are actually the bulb of a tassel hyacinth, the muscari comosum. These are a common wildflower especially in southern Italy, though few people realize that you can eat the bulb. Lampascioni are a classic example of Italian peasant cuisine, using free ingredients combined with a fair amount of labor and know-how to turn an odd edible food into a delectable dish. Or so we hoped.
Emanuele remembers lampascioni from his childhood in Puglia, though he remembers little of how his Pugliese mother prepared them, other than “cutting a cross in the bottom.” I remember eating lampascioni that had been preserved in vinegar and oil as an antipasto in Puglia, but neither of us had ever cooked them.
Though it felt like we were cheating to buy the lampascioni rather than dig them up, we decided it was worth it to try them out (and since this wild hyacinth is already blooming in our fields, we have the excuse that it is too late to dig them up anyway.)
Emanuele began to clean them and was soon grossed out by the clear sticky liquid that came oozing out of each lampascione. Sound unappetizing? It gets worse.
We decided the sticky substance must have a scientific name, and settled on “goo”. Peeling the lampascioni with this goo oozing out makes everything stick to your hands – dirt, peel, roots, and, soon, fingers against fingers. This is what I imagine it’s like working in a glue factory, only dirtier.
“Che schifo”- how revolting, said Emanuele in disgust as he got fed up trying to clean them, and decided to toss the rest of the lampascioni into the garbage - I rescued the bulbs and planted them in a corner of the garden. If all else fails, we should have some pretty tassel hyacinths next spring.
Emanuele decided to boil the cleaned bulbs for a short while, after which he put them – still oozing goo – into a bowl and stared at them, trying to will the goo to go away. This proved ineffective.
Since Emanuele’s older sisters had spent much of their childhood in Puglia and learned to cook from their pugliese mother, I decided it was time for a lampascioni conference call. After much discussion, in which both sisters corroborated the story of the cross cut, I decided to follow this procedure:
1. The lampascioni had already been cleaned and parboiled for 15 minute. Cut a cross in the root base of each bulb – work quickly as lots more goo will start seeping out of the cross cut. 
2. Put the lampascioni in a large bowl of water. Change the water 3 times a day for 2 days. The water had a slimy texture (that goo again), so I rinsed the lampascioni in a colander each time I changed the water.
3. In a stainless steel pot, make a mixture of ½ vinegar and ½ water that will amply cover the lampscioni bulbs. (I used my very strong homemade red wine vinegar, so used less vinegar. Red wine vinegar will lend a pinkish color to the lampascioni.) Bring to a boil with the lampascioni and let simmer 20 minutes, skimming off any foam.
4. Drain the lampascioni in a colander and rinse well in running water. Make another batch of water/vinegar (or just plain water if you like them less vinegary- this is what I did.)
5. Simmer the lampascioni for another 20-30 minutes until they are tender when pierced with a fork, but still hold their shape. They are resilient little buggers, so it’s hard to overcook them. This is also a dish which is impossible to make if there is water shortage.
6. Drain the cooked lampascioni and rinse well. Pat dry of excess water. There should now be no more goo seeping out of the lampascioni-hurray!
7. Put the goo-free lampascioni in a serving bowl. Like most edible things, they will immediately be improved by a good dousing of extra virgin olive oil. Add salt. Timidly taste. If they need more vinegar, add a teaspoon or two. The bulbs themselves will have a mildly bitter taste which is pleasantly countered by the vinegar and oil. If they are very bitter, you did not do a good job of getting rid of that bitter goo, and should reconsider using lampascioni in their blooming stage as decorative flowers only.
I brought my bowl of lampascioni to a family lunch in Sicily, where Emanuele’s sister Elisa was the guinea pig. I was thrilled that she proclaimed the lampascioni to be “buonissimi! ” After eating several, she then said she would add a bit more vinegar.
So, all in all the gooey lampascioni mess was a success! “Si”, Emanuele agreed, who reluctantly ate one, then looked relieved that they tasted okay and ate a few more -”sono buoni”. But next time, he swore, you can find someone else to clean them.
Cooked lampascioni, dressed with vinegar and oil, are ready to eat.
24 Responses to “ Traditional Foods of Puglia Italy-Cooking Lampascioni Hyacinth Bulbs ”
Thanks Fabio-I’ll try your recipe next time.
Anita, My parents were from Puglia. We ate these bulbs regularly whenever they were available in the market. We called them cipollini. I buy them now from a store in NYC. They are bottled in jars.
I add them to my Veal Spezzatini . Delicious.
Hi Mike- It’s great that you can find lampascioni in New York! Interesting that you add them to a veal dish- I have only eaten them as an antipasto. Are the lampascioni that you put in your veal dish already pickled?
The olive recipie great although my dad just smacked the olives with a hammer under a cloth no cuts as for the other too much boogers for me.
Ciao Anita
How the HECK are you? Guess how I found you again? Someone on my facebook asked what are lampascioni. I googled the word and found YOU.
Lauren
do you sell the lampascioni bulbs? I have been looking for them for a long time, my grandparents fron Italy always made these.
Just discovered website. Great job. I have strong urge to pack bags for visit to Italy. Question for Mike Gregory, where can I purchase some Lampascioni or Cipollini?? I live close to NYC and visit Arthur Ave in the Bronx frequently.
@Deb- I don’t sell lampascioni bulbs-a previous comment from Mike mentions buying them in NYC-dont know if that is near you. I know you can also find them already pickled in jars in some specialty food shops. Question for you- were your grandparents from the region of Puglia (Apulia) in Italy?
Hi Lauren- So great to hear from you… and what an odd way to find me. I’ll send you an e-mail separately. Hurray for lampascioni!
My paternal grandparents were from this area in Italy. They had very little in the way of material things…and we ate so well here in upstate New York-simple fare. I went with them as a kid to pick mustard greens and dandelion greens. Regarding lampascioni, I remember my grandmother frying them in olive oil. I’m also trying to make some ricotta forte!
Joe- So glad to hear that tis post brought back such great food memories for you- I am a big fan of wild greens, too. I will try cooking lampascioni in olive oil when they are next in season. Ricotta forte is an acquired taste, but definitely a tradition in Puglia- it will be on our list of things to taste when we are there on a new tour I am offerieng in September 2011.
My father and mother cooked cippolini’s when I was a kid and I grew to love them but I have not been able to find them any longer in the USA. Does anybody know if they are still availble somewhere?
Hi Joseph-For lampascioni in oil, try an Italian Specialty food store online, such as R2M. Good luck!
Hi Anita,
I hadn’t heard of lampascioni until a short while ago. Your very funny blog has made me want to give them a go! Keep up the blog, it looks great, and if it is all as funny as this, will be a great read. Thanks x
Thanks Dan- and between laughs, you really should try eating lampascioni!
Between the popping out of the goo, and the fact that they look just like eyeballs, I don’t think I’ll ever cook lampascioni again until I’ve had them professionally prepared by a chef. Those things are nasty!
Mattie- preparing them was a fairly bizarre experience, but they do taste good. If you can’t face the preparation but are intrigued by the taste, you can purchase lampascioni already prepared in jars.
My mother-in-law would just peel them like an onion, slice and fry in oil, then add hot Italian sausage and continue frying. It was simple and delicious. The goo made them tricky to clean but definitely worth it.
Sounds delicious Linda. Will try some variations once lampascioni are in season again. Ciao, Anita
I came across this link because I wanted to know where lampascioni came from.Just as I am typing I have some lampascioni frying with potatoes.Deliziosi! I absolutely love them.I am from Canada and my younger brother lives in a city where he can buy them. Once a year he sends some up for me and my mom.
Anna – Glad you have a lampascioni connection! I am intrigued that you are frying them with potatoes, as I have never had them that way – please, tell us more! And buon appetito-
I have been trying to buy Lamposcioni here in Florida and New York but no one sells them. Do you have plants or roots that I can buy, because I miss not having them for years. Hoping to hear from you soon. Thank you Mrs. Irene Sanfilippo
Buongiorno Irene- I would think you might have a better chance at finding lampascioni in NY at an Italian market, most likely in early spring. Otherwise you may have to be content with buying them already prepared and pickled in jars. Or head out to the countryside with a forager and dig them up!
May 3rd, 2010 at 21:46
Anita, I love lampascioni! I am from Salento, the south of Puglia, and I use to eat them when their time is. I have published my recipe here http://www.thepuglia.com/2010/02/ricetta-dei-lampascioni-con-soffritto-e-vino-bianco