Calçots and calçotada - food

Calçots and calçotada Barcelona

Tenim Calçots! We have calçots!

calots

Calçots are a traditional and very tasty Catalan dish and eating them is a true Catalan tradition. A calçot is a vegetable similar to spring onions or leeks. Calçots are grown in various areas of Catalonia, Spain using special growing techniques to bring out their sweet taste. The season for calçots begins in November and ends in April and but peak season is February and that is when you will see calçots on the menu in Catalan restaurants and find festivals. One of the biggest festivals is the Gran Festa de la Calçotada de Valls in the town Valls. This festival attracts around 40,000 calçot fans and is always on the last weekend of January. Valls prides itself on being origin of the calçot world and the calçots from Valls in Tarragona region are even a registered EU Protected geographical indication (PGI)

What are calçots


A calçot is a variety of giant scallion (a variety of young onion) known as "Blanca Grande Tardana" from Lleida. The special growing method is that calçots are grown covered in earth, so that the edible part remains white and the vulva does not develop. They then sprout into something that looks like small leeks.

History of calçots


The origin of Calçots is not documented precisely and is somewhat disputed. A common belief, however, is that that they were developed at the start of the 20th century by a peasant farmer from the area of Valls near Barcelona called Xat de Benaiges.

The became known in Catalan as to "calçar". in Catalan this means to "to wear or dress" - and now is an agricultural term which means to cover the trunk of a plant or vegetable with soil. This is where he name calçot is derived.


How to eat calçots


The most popular way to prepare Calçots is to have a outdoor barbeque "calçotada." At a calçotada you grill lots of calçots on a charcoal vine barbeque. Eating them is a dirty, messy and hot business but istripping and eating calçots with your fingers is the best way. Basically you peel off the charred outer skin, dip the inside in a tangy romesco / salvitxada "salsa de calçots" sauce and then lower the sweet succulent white plant into your mouth. It's easiest to get at the the long slim white firm fleshy edible part by holding the base of the calçot then pulling the green leaves aways. After grilling the calçots it is usual to throw some meats, like lamb, pork chops, botifarras and other Catalan sausages called "embutidos," on the grill too.

romesco_sauce_calcots_

Porrón - glass wine pitcher

A typical way of drinking Catalan "vin negre" red wine, or cava is from a glass porrón wine pitcher. In the Catalan language it's called a porró. The porrón wine pitcher is a fun and communal way to serve wine, or beer or sangria. Fill it then just hold it up and tip it towards you to let a steady stream flow into your open mouth, then pass it on! It takes a little skill, but it’s a fun addition to any gathering especially if you are still practising drinking from a porrón. A porrón typically holds 1 liter of wine. Porrones are famous throughout Spain, but were originally used by winemakers in the autonomous community of Catalonia as a way of sharing wine. The original Catalan porrones were ceramic, but most nowadays are glass. 

A porrón is often used when eating calçots which is a local vegetable similar to spring onions or leeks. Drinking and sharing wine using a porró is a well loved opportunity for Catalans to go a little mad and bring out the "rauxa" which is the foolish and reckless side of the Catalan personality (rauxa is the opposite of the Catalan "seny" which is consider an ancient inborne Catalan trait of wisdom or common sense.

drink_from_a_porron

If you don't have a place to make your own then head for a "merendero" outdoor picnic area which provide barbeque facilities, if you want to try yourself. You can find many merenderos near Barcelona like, Font Les Planes 

Or just order a Calçots menu at a restaurant. There are several restaurants in Barcelona that serve Calçots.

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Last Updated on Thursday, 08 August 2024 13:36
 

Sunday, 22 December 2024


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