Babosa

Cultivation Break

Season Overview

Description

Babosa is a special onion that is grown and eaten in Aragon, Spain, in a very different way than here. In Catalonia, they are called calcots. In the first year, normal onions are formed; these are large vegetable onions with a mildly pungent taste. These onions are harvested until October. Some are left behind. These are buried 10 cm deep in the ground, i.e., deeper than they were harvested. The onions are now completely covered with soil. In the spring, many long stems sprout from this onion. The lower part is long and white. Each onion produces about 8 shoots. The harvest time is in April. Unlike conventional onions, they contain fewer sulfur compounds, which gives them their characteristic mild aroma. This difference is particularly noticeable when grilled, where calçots taste nutty and sweet rather than pungent. Traditionally, they are placed near the embers of an open kitchen fire until the outer layer is black. This is then peeled off. The inner part is dipped in salt or sauce (usually romesco sauce) and eaten whole, including the green parts, as finger food. It is a festive meal that brings the whole family together. They can be stored open in the vegetable compartment for up to 10 days. ✅ Use • Traditional calçotada: Grilled over charcoal and served with romesco sauce • Mild vegetable stir-fries: Combined with asparagus or artichokes • Vegetarian main courses: As an alternative to leeks in quiches ❌ Not suitable in • Salads: The moist texture becomes mushy and bitter when raw • Soups: Loses its flavor completely • Quick everyday meals: Requires longer cooking time (at least 20 minutes) • Canned foods: Loses its flavor completely 🧅 What is the difference between babosa and calçot? Babosa is the variety—calçot is the product. If you grow babosa and plant it deep in the second year, you will get real calçots. Also, calçots should not be confused with spring onions, even though they look similar! Calçots belong to the kitchen onion species (lat. Allium cepa var. aggregatum). Spring onions are Allium fistulosum.

Growing tips

🌞 Location & soil - Full sun and warm - Loose, humus-rich, slightly moist soil - Loosen deeply approx. 1 week before sowing, Work in 3 liters of compost per m² shallowly. 🌱 Sowing & planting - Pre-cultivation: possible in mid-January - Direct sowing: March/April - Sowing depth: 1-2 cm - Row spacing: 20-30 cm - Spread out later to 8-10 cm spacing 🧹 Care - Keep free of weeds - Water moderately (in the morning) - Stop watering 2 weeks before harvest so that they mature well - Do not overfertilize - onions are weak growers 🧅 Harvesting & storage - Harvest when leaves bend over and turn yellow, approx. 2/3 of the bulbs bent - Harvest: from mid-July - October (save some for calcots) - Leave to dry on the bed for a few days after harvesting - Storage: bright, dry attic or cool cellar, approx. 15 °C - Do not store next to potatoes, otherwise they will rot more quickly 🌱 Planting for calcots - Replant some of the harvested bulbs - Planting: October/November - Planting depth: 10 cm (completely covered with soil) - Row spacing: 20-30 cm - Planting distance: 8-10 cm 🧅 Harvesting & storing the calcots - Harvest: from April/May - Storage: vegetable drawer open for up to 10 days 🌿 Mixed cultivation & crop rotation - Good neighbors: carrots, beet, parsnips, cucumbers, lettuce - Bad neighbors: cabbage, beans, potatoes - Take a 4-year break after onions or leeks in the same location 🐛 Common pests Onion fly, leek moth, leek leaf miner, thrips, root nematodes, stem borers, wireworms 🍄 Important diseases Downy mildew, gray mold, fusarium rot, bacterial soft rot, viral diseases (e.g. onion yellow dwarf virus)

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Moist

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

Medium

Dark germinator

Germination temperature

15 - 20 °C (Degrees Celsius)

Plant distance

10 cm

Row spacing

25 cm

Seeding depth

1.5 cm