Xató facts for kids
Xató (pronounced sha-TOH) is a special sauce and salad from Catalonia, a region in Spain. The sauce is made from yummy ingredients like almonds, hazelnuts, breadcrumbs, vinegar, garlic, olive oil, salt, and a special type of pepper called nyora.
Xató sauce is often served with a fresh endive salad. This salad usually has tasty ingredients like anchovy (small salty fish), tuna, and dried and salted cod fish (which is called bacallà in Catalan).
The Xató Route
There's a fun "Xató Route" that connects several towns in Catalonia. These towns are: Canyelles, Calafell, Cubelles, Cunit, El Vendrell, Sant Pere de Ribes, Sitges, and Vilanova i la Geltrú. Each town on the route has its own special way of making the Xató recipe!
Where Xató Comes From
Xató has a cool history connected to wine! Long ago, when new wine was ready, people would have a big celebration. A key part of this was putting a small tap (called l'aixetó) into the wine barrel. This let the wine flow out for tasting.
This tapping of the wine started a big party! People would eat a special meal with salty foods like fish, which farmers and fishermen had at home. They also ate winter vegetables and a salad with a unique sauce. This meal, eaten during the wine celebration, is where today's Xató comes from.
Even today, different towns in the Penedès and Garraf regions argue about who invented Xató first. Many towns in the wider Penedès area now have their own version of the Xató recipe. Big parties called xatonades are popular, where many people gather to enjoy this delicious dish together.
Xató Ambassadors
An "Ambassador of Xató" is a famous person who helps promote and celebrate this traditional dish. Here are some of the people who have been Xató Ambassadors over the years:
- 1998-1999 : Ferran Adrià
- 1999-2000 : Xavier Mestres
- 2000-2001 : Carles Gaig
- 2001-2002 : Jordi LP
- 2002-2003 : La Cubana
- 2003-2004 : Toni Albà
- 2004-2005 : Rosa Andreu
- 2005-2006 : Pere Tàpies
- 2006-2007 : Lax'n'busto
- 2007-2008 : Anna Barrachina
- 2008-2009 : Montserrat Estruch
- 2009-2010 : Oriol Llavina
See also
In Spanish: Xató para niños
