FIESTA

Spring Onion

Following the footsteps of saffron, the spring onion has grown in importance over time. The largest amount of national production of this bulb is concentrated in the city and is becoming a crop of great importance that occupies more and more farmland, gaining a sense of product exclusive to Consuegra.

In the case of spring onions, it is necessary to plant what is known as "chives" at the beginning of spring. This first onion is left to dry under the rigors of the Manchego summer, after which it is mandatory to dig up the bulb and replant it to finally obtain the spring onion, the finished product of this process.

This crop demands massive nutrients, so the soil needs to rest, so rotation is done to maintain the quality of the products. From the gardeners point of view, the spring onion is very labour intensive and demanding, and requires great care to bring the harvest to a success, which will be harvested in mid-November, before the arrival of winter frosts, which is typical of the plateau.

All these characteristics make the spring onion a crop that, although it has its origin in the popular gastronomy (traditional barbecues of vegetables or famous calçotadas) nowadays it is turn into a gourmet product that increasingly is used and valued in the recipes. Consuegra is a very suitable land for planting bulbs, although the onion has not had the cultural significance of saffron, is making an interesting path and diversifying the traditional offer of the region.

Taking advantage of this situation, in order to promote the crops of the town, the last weekend of November is organized as “Jornadas de la Cebolleta”. The bulb is the main one, but it is not the only event during these days. Paired with Consuegra wines, a great barbecue is established in the Plaza de España, where our gardeners cook the spring onions which cannot miss the romesco sauce. Visitors and locals mix in a festive atmosphere in which we not only enjoy the gastronomy, but also the heritage that Consuegra offers to locals and foreigners alike.

Farmers, the producers of saffron, cheese and local sweets, turn the day into a space where the manchega pantry and the local products are the real protagonist.