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Balearic Islands

The Balearic Islands, a Spanish archipelago in the Mediterranean, shimmer with Palma de Mallorca as its capital, a hub of Gothic cathedrals and yacht-filled bays, alongside Ibiza’s party pulse and Menorca’s tranquil coves. Known for olives, almonds, and a jet-set nightlife, their economy thrives on tourism, real estate, and fishing, blending Catalan culture with sun-soaked allure. Its rugged cliffs and azure waters draw millions yearly. The Balearics’ vibrant charm reigns supreme.

Balearic Islands

Featured Dishes from Balearic Islands

Ensaimada

Ensaimada

The ensaïmada is a pastry product from Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, commonly found in southwestern Europe, Latin America and the Philippines. The ensaïmada de Mallorca is made with strong flour, water, sugar, eggs, mother dough and a kind of reduced pork lard which gives the pastry its name. The handmade character of the product makes it difficult to give an exact formula, so scales have been established defining the proportion of each ingredient, giving rise to an excellent quality traditional product. The pastry apparently has a Jewish origin, deriving from bulemas, using lard instead of olive oil as a means of escaping the suspicions of authorities during the Inquisition. The first written references to the Mallorcan ensaïmada date back to the 17th century. Though wheat flour was mainly used for making bread, there is evidence this typical pastry product was made during that period for festivals and celebrations.

Blancmange

Blancmange

Blancmange is a sweet dessert popular throughout Europe commonly made with milk or cream and sugar, thickened with rice flour, gelatin, corn starch, or Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured with almonds. It is usually set in a mould and served cold. Although traditionally white, blancmanges are frequently given other colours. Blancmange originated at some time during the Middle Ages from the older Middle Eastern muhallebi, and usually consisted of milk or almond milk, rice, and sugar; it was considered to be an ideal food for the sick.[citation needed]

Canutillos

Canutillos

Puff pastry tubes filled with pastry cream, similar to cannoli

Cardenal de Lloseta

Cardenal de Lloseta

An oblong sponge cake made with meringue and filled whipped cream

Coca de albaricoque

Coca de albaricoque

Sweet flatbread topped with apricots, and often also contains sobrasada

Coca de cuarto

Coca de cuarto

Mallorcan sponge cake

Coca de patata

Coca de patata

Sweet rolls made with boiled potatoes, flour, lard, topped with powdered sugar

Crespells

Crespells

Shortbread cookies with lemon or orange flavors that come in many shapes, common during Easter

Ensaimada

Ensaimada

The ensaïmada is a pastry product from Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, commonly found in southwestern Europe, Latin America and the Philippines. The ensaïmada de Mallorca is made with strong flour, water, sugar, eggs, mother dough and a kind of reduced pork lard which gives the pastry its name. The handmade character of the product makes it difficult to give an exact formula, so scales have been established defining the proportion of each ingredient, giving rise to an excellent quality traditional product. The pastry apparently has a Jewish origin, deriving from bulemas, using lard instead of olive oil as a means of escaping the suspicions of authorities during the Inquisition. The first written references to the Mallorcan ensaïmada date back to the 17th century. Though wheat flour was mainly used for making bread, there is evidence this typical pastry product was made during that period for festivals and celebrations.

Flan

Flan

Custard dessert topped with a layer of caramel sauce, variations include coconut, chestnut, chocolate

Flaó

Flaó

Flaó is a cheesecake or tart found in Spanish cuisine popular from Levante. It is claimed by Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera, with some controversy. Traditionally flaons were part of Easter family celebrations in Menorca, but now they are available all year round.[citation needed] In some regions flaons are a type of crescent-shaped pie filled with jam and honey in Calasseit, Tarragona, or some type of cheese, varying according to the location. Honey was used traditionally, but in modern times sweet flaons are usually sweetened with sugar. Historically, the first recorded mention of these cakes is from 1252 and they are mentioned as well in Ramon Llull's book Blanquerna, written in 1283. In the Alt Maestrat and Ports areas the cake has a semicircular shape and it is filled with a mixture of local cottage cheese (brull) and ground almonds flavored with aguardiente and mistela. The flaons of Morella are the gastronomic icon of the ancient city. An average-sized Morella flaó is about 12 cm long.

Gato d'ametlla

Gato d'ametlla

Sponge cake made with almond flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, serve with, for example, vanilla or almond ice cream

Helado de almendras

Helado de almendras

Almond ice cream

Neula

Neula

Neula is a type of Catalan biscuit, eaten traditionally at Christmas with cava wine, which they are often dipped into, and torró nougat. Neula consists of a very thin sheet of a mixture of egg whites, butter, sugar and flour, flavoured with lemon and rolled. Other popular versions include neules stuffed with torró de Xixona, or covered with a chocolate lay. Traditionally eaten at Christmas, they are also eaten at other times, sometimes with crema catalana or ice cream. The noun neula comes from the Latin nebula, meaning "fog", referring to the biscuit's fine and light texture. Some documents show that neules existed before torró, and torró has been shown to exist at least in the Middle Ages and was eaten, for example, at Jaume I's daughter's wedding.

Orelletes

Orelletes

Fried dough, similar to elephant ears at American carnivals

Robiols

Robiols

Small sweet fried pies (empanada) filled with, for example, fruit, marmalade, cheese, custard, dulce de leche

Tortell de reis

Tortell de reis

Ring-shaped pastry or sweet bread filled with marzipan or whipped cream, may also be topped with glazed fruit, traditionally eaten on January 6 (Epiphany)

Gin

Gin

Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients. Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe. The modern gin was modified in Flanders and the Netherlands to provide aqua vita from distillates of grapes and grains, becoming an object of commerce in the spirits industry. Gin became popular in England after the introduction of jenever, a Dutch and Belgian liquor. Although this development had been taking place since the early 17th century, gin became widespread after the 1688 Glorious Revolution led by William of Orange and subsequent import restrictions on French brandy. Gin emerged as the national alcoholic drink of England during the so-called Gin Craze of 1695–1735.

Herbes de Mallorca

Herbes de Mallorca

Hierbas de Mallorca or Herbs de Majorca is a Mallorcan herbal liqueur of medicinal origin. A form of the generic Hierbas, Hierbas de Mallorca has a protected designation of origin and can only be made in Mallorca. Hierbas de Mallorca has a medical origin. Produced in monasteries, it was used by pharmacists in the 16th century to fight diseases. Herbal liquor, distilled with several herbs, seeds, roots and flowers already being used for medical purposes, was recognised for its digestive effects and was used particularly to help stomach ailments. In the 18th century, an annual production of 780,000 litres was recorded in Mallorca.

Hierbas Ibicencas

Hierbas Ibicencas

Aniseed liqueur from Ibiza

Horchata de chufa

Horchata de chufa

Horchata made with chufa (tiger nuts), serve with fartons (pastries)

Palo de Mallorca

Palo de Mallorca

Herb liqueur from Mallorca

Sangria

Sangria

Sangria is an alcoholic beverage originating in Spain and Portugal. A punch, sangria traditionally consists of red wine and chopped fruit, often with other ingredients or spirits. Under EU regulations only Spain and Portugal can label their product as Sangria; similar products from different regions are differentiated in name. Clericó is a similar beverage that is popular in Latin America.

Arroz brut

Arroz brut

Mixed rice with meat, vegetables and spices

Caldereta de langosta

Caldereta de langosta

Caldo de pescado

Caldo de pescado

Fish soup is a food made by combining fish or seafood with vegetables and stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Traditionally, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. The established French classifications of clear soups are bouillon and consommé. Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: bisques are made from puréed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter, and cream. Other ingredients commonly used to thicken soups and broths include rice, lentils, flour, and grains; many popular soups also include carrots and potatoes. Fish soups are similar to and often indistinct from fish stews, though soup is generally wetter than stew.

Caracoles

Caracoles

A snail is a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name snail is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have a coiled shell that is large enough for the animal to retract completely into. When the word "snail" is used in this most general sense, it includes not just land snails but also numerous species of sea snails and freshwater snails. Gastropods that naturally lack a shell, or have only an internal shell, are mostly called slugs, and land snails that have only a very small shell are often called semi-slugs. Snails have considerable human relevance, including as food items, as pests, and as vectors of disease, and their shells are used as decorative objects and are incorporated into jewellery. The snail has also had some cultural significance, tending to be associated with lethargy. The snail has also been used as a figure of speech in reference to slow-moving things.

Cordero asado

Cordero asado

Empanada

Empanada

An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Spain, other Southern European countries, North African countries, South Asian countries, Latin American countries, and the Philippines. The name comes from the Spanish empanar , and translates as 'breaded', that is, wrapped or coated in bread. They are made by folding dough over a filling, which may consist of meat, cheese, tomato, corn, or other ingredients, and then cooking the resulting turnover, either by baking or frying. The origin of empanadas is unknown, but they are thought to have originated in 7th century Galicia, a region in northwest Spain.

Escaldums

Escaldums

Chicken or turkey stew with almonds, sultanas, meatballs, sobrasada

Fava parada

Fava parada

Soup made with puréed fava beans, pork (e.g., trotters, tail, ear), sobrasada and/or botifarra sausage, noodles, tomato, leeks

Frito Mallorquin

Frito Mallorquin

A stir fry of meat, lamb liver, offal, blood, red peppers, beans, vegetables, potatoes, mushrooms

Lomo con col

Lomo con col

Pork loin wrapped in cabbage, then stewed with vegetables, tomatoes, sausages, wine

Monkfish

Monkfish

Members of the genus Lophius, also sometimes called monkfish, fishing-frogs, frog-fish, and sea-devils, are various species of lophiid anglerfishes found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Lophius is known as the "monk" or "monkfish" to the North Sea and North Atlantic fishermen, a name which also belongs to Squatina squatina, the angelshark, a type of shark. The North European species is Lophius piscatorius, and the Mediterranean species is Lophius budegassa. Lophius was first proposed as a genus by Carl Linnaeus when he described Lophius piscatorius in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae given as "in Oceano Europæo", meaning the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean and Black Seas with localities mentioned including Bordeaux, Marseille and Montpellier in France; Genoa, Rome, Naples and Venice in Italy; Lesbos in Greece; and Syria. The genus Lophius is one of 4 extant genera in the family Lophiidae which the 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies in the monotypic suborder Lophioidei within the order Lophiiformes. Within the Lophiidae Lophius is most closely related to Lophiomus with Lophiodes'' being the sister taxon to these and with Sladenia as the most basal sister group to the other three genera.

Ollada

Ollada

Ollada in Roussillon is a stew of potatoes, beans and cabbage or turnips, considered the most typical and traditional dish . The often-repeated saying "l'ollada, ben porquejada" ("the pot and well pork") indicates what the fundamental ingredient is, the pork, with the vegetables of the season. In Vallespir they used to add barley. Like the Aranese pot, it is eaten all mixed, without discerning the broth to make soup, as is usually done with the bowl, and it is usually much thicker.

Oyster

Oyster

Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not all oysters, are in the superfamily Ostreoidea.

Pa amb oli

Pa amb oli

Sliced country bread topped with cold cuts, ham, cheese, sobrasada, tomato, olives, olive oil, pickled fennel or capers

Panades

Panades

Meat pies made with lamb, sobrassada, peas, common during Easter

Pescado

Pescado

Many species of fish are caught by humans and consumed as food in virtually all regions around the world. Fish has been an important dietary source of protein and other nutrients. The English language does not have a special culinary name for food prepared from fish like with other animals , or as in other languages (such as Spanish pez vs. pescado). In culinary and fishery contexts, fish may include so-called shellfish such as molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms; more expansively, seafood covers both fish and other marine life used as food. Since 1961, the average annual increase in global apparent food fish consumption (3.2 percent) has outpaced population growth (1.6 percent) and exceeded consumption of meat from all terrestrial animals, combined (2.8 percent) and individually (bovine, ovine, porcine, etc.), except poultry (4.9 percent). In per capita terms, food fish consumption has grown from 9.0 kg (19.8 lb) in 1961 to 20.2 kg (45 lb) in 2015, at an average rate of about 1.5 percent per year. The expansion in consumption has been driven not only by increased production, but also by a combination of many other factors, including reduced wastage, better utilization, improved distribution channels and growing consumer demand, linked with population growth, rising disposable incomes and urbanization.

Porcella rostida

Porcella rostida

Roast suckling pig

Sea bream

Sea bream

Sparidae is a family of ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Spariformes, the seabreams and porgies, although they were traditionally classified in the order Perciformes. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters around the world and are demersal carnivores. Sparidae was first proposed as a family in 1818 by the French polymath and naturalist Constantine Samuel Rafinesque. Traditionally the taxa within the Spariformes were classified within the Perciformes, with some authorities using the term "Sparoid lineage" for the families Centracanthidae, Nemipteridae, Lethrinidae and Sparidae. Since then the use of molecular phylogenetics in more modern classifications has meant that the Spariformes is recognised as a valid order within the Percomorpha containing six families, with Callanthidae, Sillaginidae and Lobotidae included. Other workers have found that the Centracanthidae is synonymous with Sparidae and that the Spariformes contains only the remaining three families of the "Sparoid lineage".

Seafood

Seafood

Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs , crustaceans (e.g. shrimp, crabs, and lobster), and echinoderms (e.g. sea cucumbers and sea urchins). Historically, marine mammals such as cetaceans (whales and dolphins) as well as seals have been eaten as food, though that happens to a lesser extent in modern times. Edible sea plants such as some seaweeds and microalgae are widely eaten as sea vegetables around the world, especially in Asia. Seafood is an important source of (animal) protein in many diets around the world, especially in coastal areas. Semi-vegetarians who consume seafood as the only source of meat are said to adhere to pescetarianism.

Sepia a la mallorquina

Sepia a la mallorquina

Cuttlefish, or cuttles, are marine molluscs of the suborder Sepiina. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of buoyancy. Cuttlefish have large, W-shaped pupils, eight arms, and two tentacles furnished with denticulated suckers, with which they secure their prey. They generally range in size from 15 to 25 cm , with the largest species, the giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama), reaching 50 cm (20 in) in mantle length and over 10.5 kg (23 lb) in mass.

Sopas mallorquinas

Sopas mallorquinas

Vegetable and bread stew, made with seasonal vegetables based on the availability of specific crops

Suquet de peix

Suquet de peix

Aceite de Mallorca

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Aceite de Mallorca

Extra virgin olive oil made in Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain using Arbequina, Empeltre, Majorca and Picual olives

Aceituna de Mallorca

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Aceituna de Mallorca

Table olives from Mallorca, Balearic, Spain that are fermented in brine and prepared three different ways: green, bruised green and black

Allioli

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Allioli

Aioli, allioli, or aïoli is a cold sauce consisting of an emulsion of garlic and olive oil; it is found in the cuisines of the northwest Mediterranean. The names mean "garlic and oil" in Catalan and Provençal. It is found in the cuisines of the Mediterranean coasts of Spain (Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Murcia, and eastern Andalusia) and France (Provence, Languedoc, Roussilon). Some versions of the sauce are closer to a garlic mayonnaise, incorporating egg yolks and lemon juice, whereas other versions lack egg yolk and contain more garlic. The latter gives the sauce a pastier texture, making it more laborious to produce as the emulsion is harder to stabilise. There are many variations, such as adding lemon juice or other seasonings. In France, it may include mustard.

Allioli

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Allioli

A sauce of olive oil, garlic and salt, some recipes add egg yolks, served with bread, fish, meats, potatoes, vegetables

Almendra de Mallorca

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Almendra de Mallorca

Almonds from Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Biscotti

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Biscotti

Biscotti are Italian almond biscuits originating in the city of Prato, Tuscany. They are twice-baked, oblong-shaped, dry, and crunchy. In Italy, they are known as cantucci, biscotti di Prato or biscotti etruschi and may be dipped in a drink, traditionally Vin Santo. Smaller biscotti may be known as biscottini or cantuccini. In Italian, the word biscotti (sg.: biscotto) encompasses all types of biscuits or cookies. The word biscotto, originates from the Medieval Latin word biscoctus, meaning 'twice-cooked', which described items that were made from dough and baked twice, so they became very dry and could be stored for long periods of time. Such non-perishable food was particularly useful during journeys and wars, and twice-baked breads were a staple food of the Roman legions.

Butifarra

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Butifarra

Botifarra is a type of sausage and one of the most important dishes of the Catalan cuisine. Botifarra is based on ancient recipes, either the Roman sausage botulu or the lucanica, made of raw pork and spices, with variants today in Italy and in the Portuguese and Brazilian linguiça.[citation needed]

Coca de trempó

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Coca de trempó

Flatbread topped with tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers

Coca Mallorca

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Coca Mallorca

Flatbread topped with a variety of savory or sweet ingredients such as fruit, seafood, cheese, vegetables, meat

Cocarrois

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Cocarrois

Savory pastries filled with vegetables, spinach, raisins, chard, sweet red peppers

Ensaimada de Mallorca

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Ensaimada de Mallorca

The ensaïmada is a pastry product from Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, commonly found in southwestern Europe, Latin America and the Philippines. The ensaïmada de Mallorca is made with strong flour, water, sugar, eggs, mother dough and a kind of reduced pork lard which gives the pastry its name. The handmade character of the product makes it difficult to give an exact formula, so scales have been established defining the proportion of each ingredient, giving rise to an excellent quality traditional product. The pastry apparently has a Jewish origin, deriving from bulemas, using lard instead of olive oil as a means of escaping the suspicions of authorities during the Inquisition. The first written references to the Mallorcan ensaïmada date back to the 17th century. Though wheat flour was mainly used for making bread, there is evidence this typical pastry product was made during that period for festivals and celebrations.

Esqueixada

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Esqueixada

Esqueixada is a traditional Catalan dish, a salad of shredded salt cod, tomatoes, onions, olive oil and vinegar, salt, and sometimes a garnish of olives or hard-boiled eggs. Specific recipes vary, with some including ingredients such as eggplant and bell peppers. Esqueixada is particularly popular in warm weather and is sometimes considered a summertime dish. It is often served as a tapas dish. Esqueixada is sometimes described as the "Catalan ceviche" because it is made with raw fish (although the cod is salt-cured and dried) in a marinade. The name of the dish comes from the Catalan verb esqueixar, to tear or shred. The salt cod in the dish is always shredded with the fingers, never sliced or chopped, to achieve the correct texture.

Llonganissa

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Llonganissa

Longaniza is a Spanish sausage (embutido) similar to a chorizo and also closely associated with the Portuguese linguiça. Its defining characteristics are interpreted differently from region to region. It is popular in the cuisines of several regions of Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Chile. In the Philippines, it is called longganisa and has hundreds of variants with different vernacular tastes and forms due to the 144 ethno-linguistic groups of the archipelago. Longaniza essentially tracks the spread of Latin culture (in the sense of the original Latini, from Italy) around the world. Longaniza derives from Lucanica, a sausage from Lucania in Southern Italy that was adopted by the Latins of Ancient Rome through military contact. From there it spread to Spain, and from Spain, centuries later, to every place in the world with modern "Latin" (e.g., Latin American) culture. In Spain, longaniza is similar to salchichón, though thinner; both differ from chorizo in that black pepper is used for them instead of paprika and may have different spices in them like nutmeg. In Argentina and Uruguay, longaniza is a very long, cured and dried pork sausage that gets its particular flavour from ground anise seeds. This results in a very particular aroma, and a mildly sweet flavour that contrasts with the strong salty taste of the stuffing. It is used mainly as an appetizer or in sandwiches, and very rarely cooked.

Mahón-Menorca

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Mahón-Menorca

Pressed cheese made with cow's milk from Brown Swiss, Friesian or Menorcan cows, may also contain up to 5% of ewe's milk from Menorcan sheep, from Mahón-Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Mahón

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Mahón

Menorca - Pressed cheese made with cow's milk from Brown Swiss, Friesian or Menorcan cows, may also contain up to 5% of ewe's milk from Menorcan sheep, from Mahón-Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Sobrasada

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Sobrasada

Sobrassada in Catalan, or sobrasada in Spanish, is a raw, cured sausage from the Balearic Islands made with ground pork, paprika, salt and other spices. Sobrassada, along with botifarró, are traditional Balearic meat products prepared in the laborious but festive rites that still mark the autumn and winter pig slaughter known as a matança in Minorca, Majorca and Ibiza. The chemical principle that makes sobrassada is the dehydration of meat under certain weather conditions (high humidity and mild cold) which are typical of the late Balearic autumn. After centuries of Muslim rule of the Iberian Peninsula, pork consumption returned to the region in the Middle Ages. Paprika was added after the spice was brought back from the Americas in the 15th century. Sobrassada is thought to have originated and expanded, as a culinary concept, in the Crown of Aragon-controlled Western Mediterranean (Sicily, Balearic Islands, Sardinia) after the 14th century, as similar sausages are still made in this region.[citation needed]

Sobrasada de Mallorca

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Sobrasada de Mallorca

Spreadable minced pork sausage seasoned with pimentón (paprika) from Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Tombet

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Tombet

Tombet or tumbet is a traditional vegetable dish from Majorca, consisting of layers of sliced potatoes, aubergines and red bell peppers previously fried in olive oil. It is available at almost every local restaurant on the island. Tombet is often served along with fish or meat, but on its own it makes a good vegetarian dish. The aubergines and red peppers should not be peeled. The whole is topped with tomato fried with garlic and parsley and presented in a way that it looks like a pie without a crust.

Trampó

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Trampó

A fresh salad of tomatoes, onions and green peppers in olive oil, salt, may also be made with vinegar, lemon juice

Wiener schnitzel

Wiener schnitzel

Wiener schnitzel , sometimes spelled Wienerschnitzel, is a type of schnitzel made of a thin, breaded, pan-fried veal cutlet. It is one of the best known specialities of Viennese cuisine, and one of the national dishes of Austria. The designation Wiener Schnitzel first appeared in the 19th century, with the first known mention in a cookbook from 1831. In the popular southern German cookbook by Katharina Prato, it was mentioned as eingebröselte Kalbsschnitzchen (roughly, "breaded veal cutlets").