My first trip outside of Barcelona was to another part of Catalunya, Valencia, with IES. On our way back to Barcelona, I had the opportunity to partake in a typical Catalan meal, known as a Calçotada. The main attraction at these meals are the calçots, which are sweet onions typical of this region. The calçots are char grilled over an open fire, then the outside layer is peeled off for consumption. They are dipped into a special sauce then put directly into the mouth. This meal is very dirty and eaten with your hands, even a bib is necessary. As you can see in the pictures, the table and bib are quite messy when it is done.
The next portion of the meal is a family style tray of grilled meats and vegetables. Included in the tray are veal, blood sausage (typical Spanish food), other sausages, potatoes, beans and other grilled vegetables. Everyone was sitting at large tables digging into the feast that was before us. all while passing around a typical vine drinking vessel that is ideal for sharing wine in a hygienic, yet fun way. The point of this meal is to eat typical seasonal food while sharing it all with close friends and family. The food culture here is very different than in America, mainly because it is about the experience and the company, rather than just the food. I got to see that first hand at this meal.
At the end of the meal, we were served a typical Catalan dessert, known as Crema Catalana (pictured below). It is made of milk, egg and sugar and is very similar to creme brulee.
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