Description
The calçot is a shoot of mature white onion planted out in the ground. The Calçot de Valls PGI is the shoot of the bulb from the Allium cepa L. species in the variety Blanca Gran Tardía de Lleida.
Production Area
The production area of Calçot de Valls PGI covers the regions of Baix Penedès, Tarragonès, Baix Camp and Alt Camp, in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia.
Production Method
To achieve this product the work is subdivided during the year into precise periods. The first phase consists of the preparation of the seeds and takes place from October to December. Seeding begins in October and is completed in the following month. The ground is prepared from January to February, and the small onion is planted out from January to March. In the spring months, precisely from February to March, treatments with herbicidal take place and then, from march to July, the phytosanitary ones. Harvesting and drying of onions is made from July to August, followed by the plantation of the calçot which takes place from August to September. The cultivation takes place from October to December and ends through the harvesting of calçot, from November to April.
Appearance and Flavour
The Calçot de Valls PGI has a white stalk, with variable length from 15 to 25 cm and a diameter of 1.7-2.5 cm.
History
The Calçot de Valls PGI onions were discovered at the end of 1800 by a farmer from Valls and in the following century they became an integral part of the diet of these populations; at the beginning, it was the favoured food at feasts. At the end of the 19th century, the first feast of Calçot de Valls was organized, and this tradition has continued up to today.
Gastronomy
The Calçot de Valls PGI must be stored in dry and fresh rooms. The product, which must be eaten in January, February and March, is generally roasted in wood-fired ovens and seasoned with a local sauce, called salvixtada. The calçotada is a local dish of the area which is the protagonist of a peculiar, local festival. The ingredients of this dish are barbecued accompanied by a special sauce of barbecued lamb and sausages, while the desserts consist of oranges, Catalan cream and products from the local patisserie.
Marketing
The product is sold as Calçot de Valls PGI. It is sold in bunches of 25 to 50 pieces bound by means of a blue band, expressly made for this PGI product.
Distinctive Features
The Mediterranean climate and its alluvial and calcareous ground give to Calçot de Valls PGI its unique characteristics.
