Gran Festa de la Calçotada de Valls 2010

Calçot is a variety of garden onion known as Blanca Gran Tardana from Lleida. The Calçot from Valls (Tarragona, Catalonia) is a registered EU Protected Geographical Indication. Calçots are milder and less bulbous than onions and have a length of between 15/25 cm (white part) and a diameter of 1.7/2.5 cm 5 cm from the root. Planted as a single large bulb like an onion in trenches and successively buried throughout autumn and winter, they sprout into 4-10 shoots roughly the shape of small leeks. The origin is debatable but it is commonly accepted that they were developed by Xat de Benaiges, a peasant farmer from Valls by the end of 19th century. He planted the sprouts of garden onions, covering them with earth so that the edible part remained white. That action is known in Catalan as calçar ("to put shoes on"), hence the name calçot. The most traditional way of eating calçots is in a calçotada (plural: calçotades), a popular gastronomical event held between the end of winter and March or April, where calçots are consumed massively. Calçots are then barbecued and dipped in salvitxada or romesco sauce, and accompanied by red wine or cava. Pieces of meat and bread slices are roasted in the charcoal after cooking the calçots.

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Travel & Events

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• calçots
• Calçotada
• Gran Festa de la Calçotada
• valls