Aioli

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Aioli is a sauce made using very basic ingredients: garlic, salt and oil. It is thick, with a yellowish colour and a strong flavour. It originated from the Romans, who first of all took it from the Egyptians and then made it known in the Mediterranean. It is used to accompany char-grilled meats or baked potatoes. It is also traditional to use it with beans and butifarra. Likewise, it is usually used in paellas and rice dishes, especially those with fish as a base such as fideuá or arròs a banda.Creative cuisine has also added it to its recipes. This is the case for stuffed artichokes au gratin with aioli or poached eggs with escalivada au gratin with aioli.If traditional aioli is made using only garlic and oil, other varieties add an egg yolk or boiled potato, ingredients which help the mixture to bind. Nevertheless, there are many varieties. As such, nowadays aioli is made with cod, honey, pear, apple or tomato; there are even recipes with quince jelly which originate from Andorra. In fact, the most popular variety of aioli is the mayonnaise one which French cuisine made famous all over the world. Aioli is an important reference in traditional Catalan cuisine and is eaten all over Catalonia. In Santa Júlia de Vilatorta or in the Horta neighbourhood of Barcelona, to name but a few, aioli contests are organised.
Regions
Alt Camp
Alt Empordà
Alt Penedès
Alt Urgell
Alta Ribagorça
Anoia
Bages
Baix Camp
Baix Ebre
Baix Empordà
Baix Llobregat
Baix Penedès
Barcelonès
Berguedà
Cerdanya
Conca de Barberà
Garraf
Garrigues
Garrotxa
Gironès
Maresme
Montsià
Noguera
Osona
Pallars Jussà
Pallars Sobirà
Pla d'Urgell
Pla de l'Estany
Priorat
Ribera d'Ebre
Ripollès
Segarra
Segrià
Selva
Solsonès
Tarragonès
Terra Alta
Urgell
Val d'Aran
Vallès Occidental
Vallès Oriental
Season
All year round

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