Header image of La Xefla de L'Hospitalet

WHAT IS THE XEFLA?

A LIVING RECIPE

MAKE YOUR XEFLA

LET THE XEFLADA BEGIN

GASTROTECA

A DISH TO REPRESENT

L'Hospitalet

Over the last few decades, L'Hospitalet has welcomed a large number of people from all over the world, who have brought new tastes, flavours and traditions to the city.

On the occasion of the centenary celebrations of L'Hospitalet, a search was made for a culinary recipe that could represent this diverse and plural character, which could be the city's dish.

To do so, popular wisdom was combined with the expertise of professionals in gastronomy, culture and local history.

A WELCOMING

city

It is not too much of a stretch to think that the word “hospitalet” comes from the Latin “hospitalitas”: kindness and generosity towards guests and strangers. Precisely, La Acogedora (The Welcoming One) evokes the city's inclusive spirit. The sculpture represents a woman with a tray in her hands. The tray is a reminder of cooking, of food as a meeting space to build community. These are values that were taken into account when proposing the emblematic dish.

Xefla,

A WAY
OF BUILDING
COMMUNITY

The chosen dish is not exactly a dish, or not only a dish.

It is the Xefla: a hearty, shared meal with a festive character.

Although it is no longer in common use, the word “xefla” still lives on in the oral memory of some families. “Fer xefles” referred to gatherings where people cooked whatever was available to share together. The derivative “xeflis” is used for improvised aperitifs or meals, equally prepared in a communal way.

The xefla is a way of doing things: cooking collectively and setting the table for everyone. It refers to a mix of neighbourhoods, ingredients and stories that coexist in the city. And, because of this, talking about xefla is talking about L'Hospitalet.