If the media appearances of the Catalan Popular Party's presidential candidate Xavier García Albiol at times leave a bad taste in the mouth of his political opponents, his participation in a programme on Tele 5 offered a slightly different flavour - and one that Albiol couldn't really define. The PP candidate was showing the presenter how to eat a calçot - a famous Catalan vegetable delicacy, usually enjoyed with sauce at barbecues known as calçotades. However, Albiol slipped up when he tried to explain the dish to the programme host: "They come from the southern part of Catalonia, a calçot is a variety of garlic". However, as many Catalans are well aware, a calçot is a variety of spring onion.
Social media was rapidly flooded with comments and jokes from those criticizing the PP leader for not knowing his onions:
Translation: This man doesn't even get one single answer right. Does he do it on purpose or...? - Lluís Llach
If he doesn't know what a calçot is or how to eat one, what he is going to know about Catalan politics? Albiol is absurd
Albiol a great Catalan. The calçot is a garlic, and you're a bighead!
Xavier García Albiol showing that he has no idea about calçots, nor about anything in general.
Albiol says in Spain that a calçot "is a garlic"
As an ambassador for Catalonia abroad, he would ruin the country on the first day.