CALÇOTS: CATALONIA’S FAMOUS NATIVE WILD ONION
The late winter and early spring months in Catalonia are an exciting time for one special reason: calçots! What in the world is a calçot?, you might be asking yourself. Calçots are wild onions that grow in Catalonia, typically from December through April. Locals love to gather calçots when they are in season and celebrate by having a calçotada, or a Catalan barbecue. Want to know more about this fun and unique cultural celebration? Read on to learn everything you need to know about calçots!
Calçots and the tradition of calçotada
Calçots are a variety of green onion that have a sweeter and milder taste than your average white or yellow onion. The flavor is comparable to leeks or spring onions. They come into season in the spring and Catalans celebrate by throwing a calçotada. The Calçots are grilled and enjoyed alongside other Catalan specialties while drinking local wine straight from a porrón.
To enjoy this vegetable in the traditional way, cook the calçots over an open fire, or grill, until the outer layer is a little bit charred. Remove the outer layer to reveal the tender flesh beneath, which is nice and sweet. To eat like a true Catalan, throw your head back and drop the whole calçot straight in your mouth! Don’t worry about appearances because everyone gets a little messy at a traditional calçotada.
Traditional calçotada cuisine
While calçots are delicious on their own, many Catalans prefer to dip them in some homemade romesco sauce: a sauce made from garlic, roasted tomatoes, and crushed nuts. Pour the sauce over the onions and you’ll be eating like a true Catalan! No calçotada is complete without some botifarra sizzling on the grill alongside the onions. This pork sausage is a Catalan specialty. Juicy and delicious, botifarra is often served with white beans as one of Catalonia’s most iconic dishes: botifarra amb mongetes.
Don’t forget the wine! Slurp local wine from a porrón, a glass pitcher designed to pour the wine into your mouth in a thin stream. It may be tricky at first if you’ve never used one, but this clever invention lets everyone share the wine without the necessity of glasses and nobody’s mouth ever touches the porrón. With a little practice, you’ll be drinking like a local in no time!
See more: Have You Heard About the Famous Catalan Calçotada?
Where to enjoy calçots in the Barcelona area
If you want to try a traditional calçotada while you’re in Barcelona then head to Vía Granados which offers two different calçotada menus depending on your tastes. Both menus fall between 30-32€ per person and include all of the items you would expect to find on the traditional calçots menu. So forget about dishes and cooking, and leave the prep to the experts!
If you love Catalan food and traditions, join Food Lover Tour in Barcelona to really eat like a local! No matter the tour, we always take our guests to the best hidden gems, local hangouts, and amazing eateries. Explore Barcelona through cuisine with Food Lover Tour!