This time we will talk about the distinction and gastronomy of Menorca, a beautiful Spanish island located in the north-eastern part of the Balearic archipelago, specifically in the Mediterranean Sea.
The island of Menorca is one of the most famous in terms of quality of life and it is also one of the global benchmarks in terms of sustainability and environmental issues.
However, one of its main legacies is its gastronomy, which is one of Menorca’s most precious treasures. This is one of the culinary riches that Menorca has due to its history and peculiarity.
It is important to mention that the distinction of the European Region of European Gastronomy 2022 contributes to an improved quality of life, as well as raising awareness of the importance of culture and food, leading to innovation and gastronomic creativity.
The aim is to educate in order to improve nutrition and highlight the gastronomic culture and strengthen the wellbeing of Menorca’s communities.
Menorca’s Gastronomy
Proclaimed European Region of Gastronomy 2022, by the IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism), this recognises the values of Menorca’s gastronomic culture, empowering and stimulating the local community about the importance of promoting and protecting the island’s food resources, tourism and culture.
It is important to mention that the European Gastronomic Region distinction is aimed at those regions that have contributed to a better quality of life and for those that are aware of the importance of culture and gastronomy in general.
This merit highlights the regions that are stimulating innovation and creativity, which allows them to participate in education to achieve better nutrition, this allows them to improve and highlight the gastronomic cultures and strengthen the welfare of the whole community of Menorca.
Menorca’s gastronomy is essentially Mediterranean and it is celebrated with different types of events, in addition, its gastronomy is open to different types of influences from other parts of the world and the most important thing is that it is a leader in innovation.
Among the events that the Menorcans celebrate their gastronomy all year round are:
- Fairs
- Various gastronomic activities
- Festivals
- Gastronomic congresses
- Live cooking and much more.
These events are open to the general public and also have a pedagogical character, that is to say, they provide valuable information about the gastronomy of Menorca.
The most representative dish of Menorcan gastronomy is arròs de la terra.
Arròs de la terra
This is known as Moorish rice and is made from wheat semolina. It is a dish that comes from the countryside and it used to be eaten days after the pig was slaughtered. It was served with pork, 2 heads of garlic and sweet potato or potato. This dish made use of all the resources that came from the countryside.
Menorca has become over the years a region that is rich in gastronomic and culinary terms, this is due to the mixture of its culture and the mixture of its foods that have allowed this beautiful island to prepare its dishes in a special and very particular way, this has made it the European Gastronomic Region 2022.
Another dish that we cannot fail to mention is the Caldereta de langosta (lobster stew).
Caldereta de langosta
This dish is one of the best known dishes in Menorcan cuisine. This dish is a rich broth made with high quality and very fresh products; it is lobster made with fried vegetables and served with slices of toasted bread with garlic. It’s a dish you can’t miss.
For those who love charcuterie, Menorca is the perfect paradise, as sausages are a gastronomic entity for the island.
The best-known sausage is called sobrasada.
Sobrassada
It is made with pork meat and xulla-cansalada (pork salad). This dish is complemented with a little salt and a little sweet pepper.
In addition, there are other varieties of sobrassada that are native to the area, such as:
Cuixot
This is a dark-coloured cold meat made from pork and seasoned with different spices, such as fennel (fonoll), aniseed, black pepper and a touch of cinnamon.
Black and white Botifarró
Black Botifarró is very similar to cuixot; however, the latter is much thinner and the white Botifarró is prepared with the cheeks, pieces of bacon that are seasoned with various spices and the pig’s snout.
La Carnixulla
This is a very old Menorcan sausage made from lean meat and pork fat which is seasoned with various spices.
A classic Menorcan recipe is the Perol menorquín.
Menorcan Perol
This is a mixture of sliced tomatoes and potatoes that are covered with breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley. This dish is served au gratin and can be accompanied with fish or meat.
Mahón cheese
It is a reference of the gastronomy of Menorca and it dates back to prehistoric times, of Mahon-Menorca origin, the cheese is made from cow’s milk and it usually has a salty taste, this is due to the herbal sea salt that is used to feed the cows.
It is important to mention that the texture and flavour of the cheese will depend on how mature it is.
