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Produce Briefs...
Ramps
The wild ramp, AKA wild leek, botanical name Allium tricoccum, is a flowering perennial plant that grows in clusters. It is a member of the Allium family along with onions and leeks
Calamondin Limes
The Calamondin lime is a cross between a sour, loose skinned mandarin and a kumquat, therefore technically making it an orangequat.
Salanova® Lettuces
Salanova® lettuce is a full-sized variety developed for the baby lettuce market. Botanically these varieties are scientifically known as Lactuca sativa.
Description/Taste
Maui onions are small to medium in size with a globular, elongated, and sometimes stout shape. The bulb is covered in thin, papery skin that ranges from light yellow to brown. The flaky skin covers a translucent, white flesh that is crisp, juicy, and firm and has many layers of white rings. Maui onions lack the sulfur that gives most other onions their sharp taste and tear-producing odor. Their flesh also has a high sugar and moisture content allowing the onion to be exceptionally sweet, succulent, crunchy, and mild.
Seasons/Availability
Maui onions are available year-round, with a peak season in the spring through early summer.
Current Facts
Maui onions, botanically a part of the Amaryllidaceae family, are a variety of sweet onion and are a hybrid of a short day, yellow granex onion. Grown on the upper slopes of Haleakala, a dormant volcano on the island of Maui, Hawaii, Maui onions are one of the first spring onions to appear and are considered one of the sweetest varieties in the world. Maui onions are available in limited quantities as they are cultivated on less than four hundred acres of land and are labeled with “Kula Grown” to signify that the onion has been grown in the unique, volcanic soils. Favored for their sweet flavor, juicy texture, and ability to be consumed raw, Maui onions are versatile and used by chefs and home cooks for many different culinary applications.
Nutritional Value
Maui onions contain vitamins B6, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, folate, and vitamin C.
Applications
Maui onions are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as grilling, baking, broiling, frying, sautéing, and steaming. Known for their sweet flavor, Maui onions are commonly used fresh and are layered in sandwiches, chopped into salads, sprinkled with salt and consumed raw as a snack, or mixed into poke with fresh fish, seaweed, and spices. The onions can also be barbequed on skewers with meat, tossed into soups, casseroles, and stews, fried into rings or roasted and coated in balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs. Maui onions pair well with barley, hazelnuts, coffee, grilled meats such as lamb, poultry, beef, and fish, avocado, jicama, butter lettuce, carrots, radishes, cucumber, sweet corn, red pepper, tomatoes, oranges, herbs such as cilantro, dill, mint, parsley, and rosemary, yogurt, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, potatoes, vanilla, toasted coconut, maple syrup, and pineapple. The bulbs will keep 1-2 months when stored whole in a cool and dry place. When sliced, they will keep up to four days when sealed and stored in the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
In Maui, a free festival is held every April or May in the Whalers Village at the Ka’anapali Resort to celebrate the Maui onion. Drawing thousands of attendees since 1990, the festival has live entertainment, gourmet meals, recipe contests, cooking demonstrations, and onion-themed games and prizes all dedicated to the promotion of the sweet bulb. There is even a raw Maui onion eating competition to highlight the sweet and non-pungent flavor of the variety.
Geography/History
Maui onions are native to Maui, Hawaii and have been cultivated on the slopes of Mt. Haleakala, a dormant volcano, since the early 20th century. Today Maui onions are available in limited quantities at grocery stores in Hawaii and select specialty grocers and online retailers in the mainland United States.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| Chateau Lake San Marcos | San Marcos CA | 760-471-0083 |
| Saiko Sushi-North Park | San Diego CA | 619-886-6656 |
| La Jolla Country Club | San Diego CA | 858-454-9601 |
| La Costa Glen North | Carlsbad CA | 760-704-1436 |
| The Wild Thyme Company | San Diego CA | 858-527-0226 |
| Bivouac Ciderworks | San Diego CA | 816-809-5193 |
| The Art Institute of California - San Diego | San Diego CA | 858-598-1200 |
| Pacific Coast Grill | Solana Beach CA | 858-794-4632 |
| Brandon Matzek- Blogger | San Diego CA | 800-221-9730 |
| Culinary Concepts | San Diego CA | 858-530-1885 |
| Jake's Del Mar | Del Mar CA | 858-755-2002 |
| Blue Water Seafood Market and Grill | San Diego CA | 619-497-0914 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Maui Onions. One
is easiest, three is harder.Recently Spotted
People have spotted Maui Onions using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
Produce Spotting allows you to share your produce discoveries with your neighbors and the world! Is your market carrying green dragon apples? Is a chef doing things with shaved fennel that are out of this world? Pinpoint your location annonymously through the Specialty Produce App and let others know about unique flavors that are around them.
Foodland Farms
Near Lahaina, Hawaii, United StatesAbout 111 days ago, 10/01/18 Spotter's comments : Maui Onions spotted at Foodland Farms. 
Brentwood Farmers' Market
Near Sawtelle, California, United StatesAbout 225 days ago, 6/10/18 Spotter's comments : Maui Onions spotted at Brentwood Farmers' Market. Super sweet and delicious. 
Vista Farmers Market
Hamlow Ranches
Near Vista, California, United StatesPO Box 898, Denair 95316 About 247 days ago, 5/19/18 Spotter's comments : Maui Onions spotted at Vista Farmers Market. 209-664-1447 
Vista Farmers Market
Smith Farms
Near Vista, California, United StatesOrange County CA About 380 days ago, 1/06/18 Spotter's comments : Maui Onions spotted at Vista Farmers Market. 
Vista Farmers Market
Near Vista, California, United StatesAbout 492 days ago, 9/16/17 Spotter's comments : Maui Onions spotted at Vista Farmers Market. Very nice and locally grown .ownly 
Vista Farmers Market
Hamlow Ranches
Near Vista, California, United StatesPO Box 898, Denair 95316 209-664-1447 About 625 days ago, 5/06/17 Spotter's comments : Maui Onions spotted at Vista Farmers Market. |
