Trempó

Trempó is a Mallorcan take on the traditional tomato salad popular in many cuisines. In the Mallorcan version, tomato is diced along with white onion and green pepper. This dish takes advantage of the wonderful fresh vegetables that grow on the island. The green peppers in Mallorca have a very light-colored skin and are not spicy. The tomatoes are generally small and plump. Their color may be anywhere in the spectrum from red to green but even the green tomatoes are deliciously ripe inside. The vegetables are diced fairly small and then tossed with white vinegar and a bit of salt and served cold or at room temperature. Trempó accompanies nearly every meal in the summertime in place of a green salad because it is easy to make and keep on hand. The whole dish takes about five minutes to prepare from start to finish.

Trempó is also featured in the Coca de Trempó found in many Mallorcan bakeries. A special pastry dough similar to a pie crust is topped with the trempó and baked. This lends a roasted flavor to the vegetables. It is then cut into squares and served at room temperature. It is a similar concept to pizza without the cheese. Many people eat this as a snack in the afternoon or put it on the table for everyone to snack on while they put the finishing touches on the main dish. Like many Mallorcan dishes, it is simple to make, uses fresh local ingredients, and is full of flavor.