Mallorcan cuisine is something everyone has to try at least once in their lifetime. Mallorca’s food has a rich history that includes both Roman and African influences, as well as its own traditional Spanish style.
In Mallorca, their dishes include tropical ingredients, and seafood harvested directly from the island. From vegetables like cauliflower, to almonds and tomatoes, Mallorcan plates are wholesome and delicious. Here are some foods you should try when you visit, especially after a day of hiking!!
Pimientos de Padron
This dish is a simple yet popular starter. Many order a plateful and share them with fellow diners. Small green peppers are fried in olive oil and rock salt, and you will mostly find they are sweet, but on the odd occasion you can come across a spicy one!
Pa amb Oli
Simply put, Pa amb Oli is bread with oil, but this is a classic dish and a must try when visiting Mallorca. There are many different varieties of toppings that can be used for this dish, with the most traditional being Jamon (ham) or Queso (cheese). A Pa amb Oli consists of slices of brown Mallorcan bread rubbed with raw garlic clove and half a Ramallet tomato, drizzled with local olive oils.
Arros Brut
This is a traditional rice dish with vegetables and meat. Did you know arros brut means ‘dirty rice’? This delicious mix of meat and vegetables change with the seasons, with rice made according to the ‘caldoso’ style, meaning it’s cooked with excess water so it becomes soupy. As with many recipes in Mallorcan cuisine, it has a combination of spices that usually include saffron, paprika, cinnamon, pepper, clover, and nutmeg.
Bunyols
If you like doughnuts, you’ll like Bunyols as they are Mallorca’s very popular equivalent! These are made from a potato dough cooked in hot oil, then sprinkled in sugar. The mixture consists of mashed potato, flour, eggs, yeast, and butter. You can buy these from many cafes and bakeries during the Les Verges fiesta in October.
Ensaimada
Ensaimada is undoubtedly Mallorca’s most famous pastry, with origins that can be traced back to the 17th century, when it was made for parties and celebrations. This spiral shaped pastry is made with flour, eggs, water, sugar, mother dough, and ‘saim’ (pork lard). There are several different variations on the basic recipe with some filled with ‘cabell d’angel’, which is a very sweet filling made with pumpkin strings.
Frit Mallorqui
This is a very classic dish in Mallorca which comes with a backstory. The ‘mantanca’ was a very special event in Mallorca where the whole family, and even the whole village, gathered to slaughter a pig and eat together those perishable bits which could not be cured or salted. The frit malloqui was a dish usually made in this occasion.
The traditional recipe contains potatoes, onions, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, olive oil, herbs, and spices, which are fried with liver, blood, and lungs. There are variations for this dish which include offal from lamb or goat, as well as other meat cuts or fish.
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