Xatonada in Calafell 2024

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Image courtesy of Festa Catalunya

Enjoy the Xatonada de Calafell, a gastronomic fair of local artisan food products alongside wine and cava, but the star of the show is the xató salad. You'll have the opportunity to taste this famous salad, buy some to take home, join a xató-making masterclass, peruse a handicrafts markets and much more.

Xató is a typical dish from the regions of Alt Penedès, Baix Penedès and El Garraf, and each has it's special twist to the recipe. Made from a base of endive, cod, anchovies, halibut and arbequina olives, the salad is finished off with the xató sauce. The secret, of course, is in the sauce, which is made with ground almonds, hazelnuts and garlic until a fine paste is obtained and then the nyora pepper is added, which gives it its distinctive color. The sauce is then completed with fried bread, white and red pepper, tomatoes, oil and vinegar.

Where does the name "xató" come from? The most widespread explanation attributes the origin of the name xató to the action of aixatonar which means to put a tap on a wine barrels. This act took place when the arrival of the first young wine of the season was celebrated. In this festive atmosphere, the salad was prepared with common elements in the pantry of the Catalan countryside (curly endive, olives, cod and other salty foods) and thus it acquired its name and personality. 

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