In Eastern Spain, in the City of Valls, there's a legendary onion.
Locals will tell you that at the end of the 19th century,
a farmer named Xat De Benaiges carried out an experiment...
He planted a crop of onions but instead of letting them grow as usual,
he increased the depth of the soil above them as they grew.
...this caused the stems to lengthen and remain white.
Not as sharp as a spring onion and not as subtle as a leak,
these onions, called "calçots", are mild, sweet and most importantly, exceptionally delicious.
Not long after the onion's creation, local families began hosting calçot eating parties
...and in 1982 the onion was granted its own Festival: The Gran festa de la Calçotada.
The Calçots are cooked over hot coals
and grapevine clippings giving them a rich smoky flavor.
The burnt outer layer is removed and the inner part is dipped in a tomato and garlic salbitxada (salbichada) sauce.
Local farmers participate in a competition for the best calçot.
This is Dalmaci.
He’s a seasoned calçot grower and an esteemed competition judge.
While the onions are the main event, there's plenty more to do including a grand parade...
a competition for the best sauce and a selection of meats and sausages to try...
So no one gets thirsty, local wine is readily available, served from a traditional porrón.
But, when it comes to eating calçots,
some festival-goers have a little more experience than others...
This year, Adria ate 221 calçots!
That's more than 3 kilos in just 45 minutes
In a world full of onions that will make you cry,
the smile you get from a calçot is something worth celebrating…