Calçotada

Calçots are a member of the onion family, and have the same nutritional qualities as onions. They look a lot like big leeks, and they grow in southern Cataluña between the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
A calçotada is a very Catalan event, I guess it could be the equivalent of an American barbecue or Argentine asado. The calçots are grilled until the outer layer is burnt, then they are wrapped in newspaper so they can finish cooking in their own heat.
Then they are dipped generously in romesco sauce (a sauce you could probably find a million variations for, made mostly of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, almonds and hazelnuts) and gobbled up. It's a truly hands-on experience, so much so that people actually put bibs on to eat them. (A friend of mine -also a foreigner here- once worked as a waitress in a restaurant, and when someone at a large table asked for a bib for the calçots, she brought one over and instantly started fastening it onto a small child at the table, and was shocked to find out it was for the adult!).
When I first hear about the calçotada I thought, how great, their barbecues are all vegetarian -fat chance! After the calçots comes the meat -and lots of it! (But I'll leave that part out here for obvious reasons).
This photo was Olivia and Bruno's first calçotada; they both loved them (minus the sauce, which was too strong for their tender tastebuds).