Cèbe de Lézignan
The cèbe from Lézignan is a flat onion with a white skin. It is rather large: it can reach over 10 cm diameter and weigh 350 g, sometimes even 1 kg. It takes its name from the Occitan ""céba"", meaning onion. Its white flesh is sweet and tenders. It is eaten raw – which makes it particularly suitable for summer salads – but it is also traditionally served with grilled sardines. It can also be cooked (in the oven, mashed) or preserved in vinegar. As suggested by its name, the Lézignan onion originates in the village of Lézignan-la-Cèbe, near Pézenas in Hérault, where it has been grown since the 17th century. It was only in 1615 that Lézignan became Lézignan-la-Cèbe, thus adding the name of its most famous crop to its official name. This onion grows very slowly (the plants produced by the seeds are planted in October-November to be harvested between May and July). Today, the ""cébières"" – the fields where the cèbe are grown – occupy the land of peripheral municipalities of Pézenas, such as Cazouls and Usclas d’Hérault, Montagnac, Paulhan, Adissan or Nizas.
""La céba dé Lézignan, es douco come lou pan"" (""the cèbe of Lézignan is as sweet as bread"") is the popular slogan of the village of Lézignan-la-Cèbe. Every year, the festival of the sweet onion of Lézignan-la-Cèbe takes place the first weekend of July. It is celebrated with a market with local products, onion based dishes and other initiatives. In summer, cèbe is the basic ingredient of several regional dishes: ""salade Lézignanaise"", and ""fricasson"" or ""pissaladière"".
Today, about a dozen producers have gathered under the brand associated to the ""La Cèbe de Lézignan"" logo, which has just been deposited at INPI, the national institute of industrial property.
For a long time, cèbe growing was the main source of income for many families in Lézignan, or at least a significant part of their revenues. This local economic model is threatened by several onions that are called ""cèbe de Lézignan"" but are grown elsewhere, and not in the historical cradle of the variety. The producers’ association was created to safeguard this local economy and, in general, all the specific features of the product.
"La céba dé Lézignan, es douco come lou pan" ("la cèbe de Lézignan est douce comme le pain") est le slogan populaire de la ville de Lézignan-la-Cèbe. Chaque année, le premier week-end de juillet, a lieu la foire de l'oignon doux de Lézignan-la-Cèbe, un marché avec des produits du terroir, des spécialités à base d’oignons, et autres animations. L’été, la cèbe est l’ingrédient de base de plusieurs spécialités régionales : la "salade Lézignanaise", et le "fricasson" ou "pissaladière".
Aujourd’hui, une dizaine de producteurs se sont professionnalisés et sont réunis au sein de la marque associée au logo "La Cèbe de Lézignan" qui vient d’être déposée à l’INPI.
Longtemps, la culture des cèbes générait le revenu principal de nombreuses familles Lézignanaises ou tout au moins un complément financier indispensable. Un modèle économique territorial mis à mal par de nombreux oignons dits "cèbes de Lézignan" cultivés ailleurs que dans le berceau historique de la variété. L'association de producteurs a été constituée notamment pour préserver cette économie territoriale, et plus généralement toutes les spécificités du produit.
