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.

Mallorcan Almonds

Mallorcan almonds are considered to be some of the finest in the world. The almond is native to the Mediterranean region. The Mallorcan countryside is full of almond trees which yield an abundance of this delicious nut. It is hard to go anywhere in Mallorca without encountering a grove of almond trees, and during a typical afternoon stroll, it is not unusual to have to step on fallen almonds that cover your path. In the spring, the trees bear beautiful almond blossom flowers, which are a soft pinkish-white color that makes for a lovely contrast against the backdrop of the green countryside.

It is great fun to pass an afternoon collecting these superb almonds. You simply shake the tree and collect the pods that have fallen. It is better to bypass the ones that have already fallen and go for the freshly fallen ones. After removing the soft skin of the pod, the result is the hard shell of the almond. This shell is extremely durable and cracking it open can be very difficult. Even with a proper nutcracker, it can still take great effort to extract the nut from inside. Many people use a hammer for this purpose. The resulting nut is well worth the extra effort, however.



The main use in Mallorcan cuisine of the local almonds is a special almond cake called “gato”. Almond ice cream is also extremely popular on the island. This ice cream has a light, slightly spicy flavor and is always made with crushed up local almonds. The almonds are also delicious when served blanched and then fried in olive oil and salt, slightly warm.

Mallorca is a great place for almond lovers. Almond paste and almond flour are also staples at even the smallest grocery stores here. The nuts are also far cheaper than their less tasty American counterparts. Even the well-reputed California almond pales in comparison to the native almonds of Mallorca.

Tortilla de Patata

When they hear the word "tortilla", most North Americans tend to think of the Mexican variety, those flour or corn wraps used for burritos or baked for tacos. But in Spain, tortilla has a different meaning entirely.

A spanish tortilla is an egg dish, more similar to an Italian frittata and translates roughly to mean "omelette". And like omelettes, the fillings can vary but the most popular variation by far is the Tortilla de Patata.

To make this dish, first several onions are cut into thin slices and sauteed in oil. Three medium sized potatoes are also cut into small chunks and fried in the same oil that was used to cook the onions. Then the oil is drained and then five or six beaten eggs mixed with a dash of milk are poured on top. The mixture is not stirred and is left for several minutes on low heat. Once set, the tortilla is very gently flipped over.

Flipping the tortilla is an art and takes a lot of practice to get it right. It's quite fun to watch a Spanish person expertly slide the tortilla onto a plate and then back into the pan to cook on the other side. But it's important to keep your expectations low the first time you make it... they make it look quite easy but it's something you need to develop a feel for after making it several times.

Other variations of the tortilla de patata involve local vegetables. The most popular non-potato tortilla in Mallorca is the tortilla de calabacin, which features the local zucchini. Tortillas are a staple throughout Spain, and you can even find pre-made tortillas in the grocery stores that you can microwave and serve. Homemade tortillas taste best when served at room temperature.

Sobrasada

Mallorcans are particularly proud of their local sausage made from the "black pig" called sobrasada. It is similar in taste to chorizo but with a very soft texture. This sausage is bright red and often served uncooked spread onto a piece of crusty bread. Often Mallorcans will throw some of the local "pan moreno" brown bread topped with sobrasada onto the grill while they are outside cooking their paella. The slight charring adds a magnificent dimension of flavor. It can also be chopped up and added to stews such as arroz brut and lentejas.

You can find sobrasada almost anywhere in Mallorca but most locals have their preferred vendors and won't touch it if it came from somewhere else. It is typically hung upside down from a string, allowing the red-orange oil to drip off of the sausage. Smaller amounts can be purchased in a grocery store where you can find just the soft center without the casings in a ready-to-spread pot.

The best way to describe sobrasada to someone who hasn't tasted it is to liken it to spreadable pepperoni. Although this comparison does not do it justice, there really is nothing quite like it to be found in the United States. Some Italian-American specialty markets carry Italian sopressata but that is a very different item altogether. The Italian verson is more of a lunchmeat similar to salami and bears little relation to its Mallorcan counterpart.

Ensaimada

Ensaimada is a traditional Mallorcan pastry that is typical breakfast food on the island. It is a delicate, flaky pastry in a spiral shape topped with a light dusting of powdered sugar. The ingredient that makes this so special is the "saim" or pork lard, which is difficult to find outside of the island made this way. Despite the heavy ingredients, it has a very light flavor and texture and the locals usually eat it dipped in coffee or hot chocolate.



Besides the traditional ensaimada, there are several variations with toppings and fillings which transform it from a breakfast food to a dessert. Some of the fillings you can find include cream, "cabello de angel" (a type of pumpkin), chocolate, nutella, and turrón. The list of toppings is as endless as your imagination but the most common ones are toasted pine nuts or walnuts, slices of apricot, and the "tallades" type widely consumed during lent which is topped with pumpkin and sobrasada for a unique combination of salty and sweet flavors. (More on sobrasada in a future post.)

The ensaimada is perhaps the most iconic of Mallorcan foods. Throughout the Palma Airport, travelers can be seen carrying stacks of ensaimada boxes onto their flights to bring the fresh-baked treat back to family and friends on the mainland of Spain. This Mallorcan staple is cheap, delicious, and very easy to find throughout the island.

Welcome to Mallorcan Food

Mallorca is an island with its very own rich culinary traditions. Although there is a strong presence of Spanish mainland flavors and ingredients, the cuisine is also influenced by the land's neighbors, immigrants, and previous inhabitants. The flavors tend to be earthy, the ingredients local, and the dishes of the comfort variety.

Here I take a look at the Mallorcan cuisine from an outsider's perspective, specifically that of an American. As an avid gourmet cook and "foodie" from the U.S. living on the island, I not only break down the local fare from cute old Spanish grandmothers and five-star Mallorcan restaurants but also offer insight into the challenges of cooking in a place very different from home.