Tasting the Typical Gastronomy of Andratx
Mediterranean cuisine is considered one of the healthiest in the world. Based on fruits and vegetables, fish, dairy products, meats, cereals... it makes up one of the richest cuisines there is.
In Mallorca, each town and area has its own specialties, and shares with the rest the typical Mallorcan cuisine that grandmothers used to prepare, and before them, their own grandmothers. At La Pérgola, we love to talk about Andratx and everything related to this municipality, so today we take a look at the typical gastronomy from here, which mixes sea and mountain, traditional products and new acquisitions, and a delicious tradition that combines almost any culinary trend.
Typical Dishes of Andratx's Gastronomy
Fish rice was the typical food of fishermen, who set off very early from the port of Andratx and consumed what they caught during their working days.
They say that the basis of the most delicious fish rice is to prepare a good broth with prawns, fish bones, and heads, small fish, and a sofrito or onions. There is no fixed recipe, as is usually the case; fishermen were humble people who prepared these and other recipes with what the sea and the land gave them.
Nowadays, fish rice is one of the most requested in Andratx and its port, and it is prepared in modalities such as meloso (creamy), soupy, dry, and with all kinds of products.
Sopas mallorquinas, “Mallorcan soups”, are basically composed of vegetables and slices of country bread. It began to be cooked to make use of <bread from other days, which was cut very thin and left to dry.
There are sopas mallorquinas made only with vegetables like onion, cabbage, cauliflower, artichoke, spinach, chard... but you can also add, depending on the season, pieces of pork.
In a clay pot, olive oil, onion, and other vegetables are placed and allowed to brown. Gradually, the rest of the vegetables, water, paprika, salt, and pepper are added, and when everything is ready, it is separated towards the edges to add the bread, which will absorb the broth and give the typical consistency to the dish.
They are delicious with a broken fried egg, as well as with accompaniments used in other towns on the island, such as olives.
Tumbet is a dish prepared with eggplant, garlic, pepper, potato, and tomato, and it may remind you of the French ratatouille. The ingredients are fried in a clay pot and placed in layers: potato, onion, eggplant, peppers, and tomato sauce. It is one of the most delicious dishes of Mallorcan cuisine, and it is especially cooked in summer. In many kitchens, breadcrumbs are sprinkled on the last layer of fried tomato, and it is finished cooking in the oven with the grill on.
Typical Desserts of Andratx
We don't want to end this entry without talking about the typical sweets of Andratx's gastronomy.
On one hand, there is the Greixonera de Pascua, which is typical of the date that gives it its name. It is prepared with a base of milk, sweet sponge cake, eggs, cinnamon, and lemon, and the result delights the sweet tooth.
We can also taste the leche de higuera (fig milk), which once again has milk as the main ingredient, sweetened with honey or sugar, and flavored with a fig tree branch, which gives a special and characteristic flavor to this recipe.
