Calçot
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| Calçot | ||||||||||||||
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| Allium cepa L. |
Calçot is a variety of scallion known as Blanca Grande Tardana from Lleida. The Calçot from Valls (Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain) 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.
[edit] Origin
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 began to grow white scallions 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".
[edit] Consumption
The most traditional way of eating calçots is in a calçotada (plural: calçotades), a popular gastronomical fiesta held between the end of winter and March or April, where calçots are consumed massively.
Calçots are then vine roasted and dipped in salvitxada sauce or romesco, and accompanied by red wine or cava. Pieces of meat and bread slices are roasted in the charcoal after cooking the calçots.
