Catalan Сalçots: a Сulinary Treasure and the Art of Eating it
From November to April in Catalonia you can enjoy an unusual dinner, the calçotada. It is a very funny tradition. To take part you need an apron, gloves and an empty stomach. You can do without the first two, but you risk getting your clothes dirty ;) What is it? It's a fun way to eat onions together!
Calsotes is a native Catalan variety of leek with a length of 25-40 cm. This variety is protected by the Denomination of Geographical Origin. It is grown and eaten in large quantities in Catalonia. If you go to Barcelona, you can't go without calçots.
This is a very savoury dish! Forget what you know about onions! Calçots are delicate, sweet and soft. They are eaten with romesco sauce (main ingredients: tomatoes, garlic, onions, almonds, peppers, olive oil). It's hard to resist the combination of onion and sauce. Luckily, calçots are fried in cases to make sure there is enough for everyone. For Catalans, calçotada is a real holiday. At weekends, long tables are set up in the narrow streets of Barcelona and entire streets and neighbourhoods enjoy their favourite dish! Where to try calçotada in Barcelona? Check the menu - most restaurants offer a calçot menu in winter and have special days and lunchtime calçotas.
The Catalan town of Valls, 100 kilometres south-west of Barcelona, is considered the birthplace of the calçot. At the end of the 19th century, a farmer conducted an experiment, crossing white onions with leeks and planting them in unusually deep beds. The result was an incredibly tasty, mild and sweet variety.
The onions are fried over a high heat without any seasoning until they are charred on the outside and soft on the inside. It may seem strange the first time, but that's only until you taste it! With one hand, grab the green part of the onion, with the other grab the charred layer. And with all your might, you pull out the tender flesh. Everything around you is immediately covered in a layer of soot, but it's worth it! Then dip the onion in the sauce, tilt your head as high as you can and... do it all over again!
