By BOBBY HUEN
What Are Calçots And How Do You Eat Them?
If you've never heard of calçots, you're not alone. These unique onions, deeply rooted in Catalan cuisine in Spain, are a specialized type of green onion or scallion with a twist.
What makes calçots unique is their cultivation process. Farmers plant the onions close together and mound soil around them as they grow.
This technique results in exceptionally long, tender, and mild-flavored stalks that boast a sweet, nutty, and juicy flavor, making them delightful when eaten on their own.
In Catalonia, calçots are typically roasted over open flames. People also host calçotadas, parties specifically organized to celebrate these unique onions.
Partygoers, often encouraged to wear napkins or bibs around their necks due to the messy nature of the feast, peel off the charred outer layer.
They consume the tender interior whole with a rich and nutty sauce known as Salbitxada or Catalan Sauce, along with a variety of grilled meats such as lamb, pork, and even rabbit.
Calçots are not easy to find in local markets, but if you do, you can roast them over an open flame like the Catalans, or you can broil them on high heat in an oven.