Mallorcan food! Yeah I didn’t know what it was at first either. I was actually in shock over the food in Spain because my whole life Europe has always been the place of fluffy bread, perfect desserts, and delicious meats. That is not to say Spain didn’t have these things, but it was not like Germany or Ireland. As a cuisine, I wasn’t entirely impressed by Spanish food. It lacked salt, the bread was denser, and I think I ate a lot of Italian food. Now I am not saying everything there was bad. There were things they definitely got right. Have you every heard of Nata? The best cream! The chorizo and salami were also to die for. I really miss the paninis I had there too. There were some Spanish and specifically Mallorcan staples I miss everyday. This is my list of things you have to have in Mallorca because I miss them everyday.
Sobrassada
Brace yourselves for the description of what this yummy Mallorcan meat it. I am just going to start out by saying it was one my favorites and maybe one of the best meats I’ve had. This is a Mallorcan sausage made of very similar ingredients as other Spanish sausages with its ground pork and paprika. What makes it so different is its consistency that allows you to spread it. There was really nothing like Sobrassada on a piece of Mallorcan bread when you needed a little something to get through the day. Most Mallorcan people buy it in a plastic container similar to what we buy spreadable butter in. What makes it different from other sausages is its high fat content which allows it to be spread. I know spreadable meat sounds a bit strange, but it is very Mallorcan and something you have to try on the island.
Ensaïmada
Ensaïmada is a well known Mallorcan pastry. Its ingredients are similar to other pastries except that it uses lard to create its flaky layers. While the size make differ, I’ve seen personal sizes and big sizes you have to take a slice out of, the spiral is always the same. It is always topped with powdered sugar as well, making it a great sweet treat whether you are having it for breakfast or dessert. Stop into an bakery in Mallorca and you will find Ensaïmada.
Pa amb Oli
Pa amb Oli is one Mallorcan dish I have tried very hard to recreate at home because I loved it so much. This dish is something you can order in a restaurant, like in the photo with Lucia, and is also a staple to the food prepared in Mallorcan homes. While the dish itself is simple, it is having the exact ingredients that are wholly Mallorcan that is key. The dish starts with Mallorcan bread, Pan Payes, which is a more dense rustic bread. The bread is then rubbed with Ramallet tomatoes, which are winter tomatoes that are only found in the Balearic Islands. It is then doused in olive oil made in Mallorca. It is then top with sea salt flakes, Mallorca has a few different types of these mixes. This is the base that is always the same. What other topping you put on it is up to you. I love it with Mallorcan cheese and Serrano ham. You can also top it with Sobrassada and get to try both of these uniquely Mallorcan foods.
Paella
While Paella is most well known as a dish from Valencia, it has many variations throughout the Catalan speaking regions of Spain. What makes it different from other variations is that it is a Paella Mixta which means it includes meat like chicken, rabbit, or snails, and a variety of seafood. Paella Valenciana also will have green beans and butter beans, while Mallorcan Paella won’t have any kind of beans. In Mallorca the dish uses local ingredients and consists of rice, saffron, vegetables (onions, peppers, tomatoes, and peas), chicken (I have never had it or made it with rabbit or snails), seafood (prawns, squids, and mussels), chicken broth, and other spices like paprika. I’ve alway struggled to make Paella at home, but the cool thing about Spain is they sell the Paella spice mixes in the grocery store, so I bought a few of those to take home as well as saffron which is much cheaper here than at home.
My favorite part of having paella in Mallorca is the side. It is very common to it eat with a crusty bread like a baguette and aioli. I love aioli and I miss it so much! It just isn’t the same here. Also fun fact, paella is not a dinner food. In Spain they make a huge pan of it, often when they have guests, and have it for lunch, which is a bit later in Spain anyway. Sometimes they have it for dinner, but it is more typically served during the day.
Olives
Just like in other parts of Europe where olives are commonly grown you have to have olives in Mallorca. I love that meals, especially Pa amb Oli come with a side of olives. They are delicious. Not to mention they make great olive oil. The family I stayed with made their own olive oil and even gave a bottle of it to me to take home. I love it! I only use it for special occasions, like when I am making authentic southern European food. If you went to Mallorca without trying olives, then you never really were in Mallorca.
Panades or Empanadas
Now this one threw me for a loop when I first got to Mallorca. We all know what empanadas are. It is a spicy chicken or beef stuffed pastry from Argentina. This is not what it was in Mallorca. Rather than a turnover I got more of a potpie. And the filling was not spicy. Instead my chicken empanada was just roasted chicken and peas flavored with black pepper. At first I thought it was a bit weird and I had a “well I guess I tried it” view, but then it grew on me. The children I worked with loved them so it was a common snack for us when we were out and doing things. Now I can still imagine the taste of chicken, peas, and dough and it is nostalgic. What I wouldn’t do to split a chicken empanada with a kid again.
Tortilla
Tortilla! One of the very Spanish foods I knew, other than Paella, before going to Mallorca. This is much more of an overall Spanish food than some of the other uniquely Mallorcan foods on this list, but it still is a staple in the food of the Mallorcan people. While it’s not really a restaurant food, it is still something you have to try. Most families in Spain will make it for a meal or often the family I stayed with would make it for parties. They’d dice it up for appetizers and well I would be standing by the food table eating all the tortilla. They knew I liked it, so I always got a shout when it was being made! It isn’t for everyone though. My friend Lucia who was an au pair in Madrid, was not as much of a fan of it. I think it all comes down to preference, because once again Spanish food can get a bit bland, so don’t expect an explosion of flavors. Tortilla is a potato omelette that will often have onions. I find the version with onions to have more flavor. It also it very good dipped in ketchup.
Bunyols
Bunyols is the Catalan word for Buñuelo which is a Spanish doughnut. They are often served at holidays like Christmas or during lent, but you can also find them at the markets and fairs in Mallorca. Imagine them to be like getting mini doughnuts at a fair or food truck in the US. This is what they are like. They are a small fried doughnut topped with sugar. Really who doesn’t like fresh fried dough!
Polvorones and Mantecados
I only had these sweet treats a couple times in Mallorca as they are a Christmas time delicacy, but I still think about them often and wish I could try them again. Polvorones are a Spanish almond shortbread made out of flour, sugar, ground almonds, and pork lard and dusted with powdered sugar. They may have a hint of spice as well. Mantecados are more round and come in different flavors. They are similar in ingredients, but don’t include almonds. Instead they will have cinnamon, lemon, chocolate, or coconut flavors. Both will literally melt in your mouth. If you are in Mallorca or Spain during Chirstmas time, you have to try these Christmas cookies.
Wine
I could go on forever about the wine in Spain. It is 10 times better than wine in the US and half the price. The family I stayed with didn’t drink, so sometimes I’d have wine at home, but I found it hard to drink a whole bottle myself, so usually I would get a glass when out for lunch or dinner. A glass can be as little as 2 euros and a bottle as little as 10 euros at a restaurant. And that is for good wine. Its not like cheap wine at home that makes you feel groggy. It is refreshing, especially the white wine. Mallorca has some of its own wine brands as well, so be sure to ask about the Mallorcan wines when eating at a restaurant on the island. I miss how common it was to get a glass of wine with lunch. It definitely was a part of the more laid back culture of Spain that we won’t ever quite get here.
Now you know what Mallorcan food is! There is much more to it as well. There are different soups as well as seafood dishes that are common in day to day meals. Mallorca also has a lot of Arab immigrants that have brought much of their own food to the island which now all locals enjoy. Mallorca has a interesting array of food and its hard to really categorize it. You just have to go to Mallorca to experience it yourself!
The Journal of Wanderlust 