The word xato\u0301 describes a salad made with frise\u0301e greens dressed in a romesco-like winter sauce that\u2019s made with dried, locally-sourced ingredients. It\u2019s a sauce that also goes great with fish.<\/p>\n
XATO\u0301 FROM GARRAF AND PENEDE\u0300S <\/span><\/p>\n While we know that xato\u0301 was first eaten in the Garraf and Penede\u0300s regions, it\u2019s still unclear which municipality can definitively claim the salad as its own. There\u2019s no doubt, however, that the best versions are available throughout those regions; in fact, the dish has given rise to a traditional festival there called La Xatonada de Vilanova.<\/p>\n Squabbles over who makes the best xato\u0301 are commonplace among the neighboring populations of Sitges and Vilanova. To settle the matter, the regions host competitions to see who can prepare the best xato\u0301, but it\u2019s a dilemma that will likely never be resolved as all those involved are convinced that their version is best.<\/p>\n The origin of this salad\u2019s name also remains unclear, although a few theories have made the rounds. The first posits that xato\u0301 takes its name from the word \u201cchateau,\u201d as the plated salad looks similar to a castle or manor. Since the birth of salt anchovies, women from the town of Escala, called anxoveres, were tasked with removing the heads and tails from the fish, fileting them, then packing them one by one. This process, impeccably carried out by hand, is a trade passed down from mother to daughter, and a still-existing tradition. If you have the chance to visit Escala, you won\u2019t want to miss seeing them in action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5015,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-4998","recipe","type-recipe","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThe second theory holds that the name comes from the moment when farmers and sailors would tap a new wine la bota de vi. In any case, these hypotheses will have to do, as we\u2019ll likely never know the name\u2019s true origins.<\/p>\nTRADITIONS<\/h3>\n