Treats from the Mallorca ovens and bakeries

Entering some of Mallorca's bakeries provides a chance to discover a whole universe of flavours. Traditional tastes such as freshly baked bread or sweet treats.

The most widespread type of bread is the payés, round and unsalted, white or brown, depending on the type of flour. This is the best bread for pa amboli: bread with tomato, virgin olive oil and salt. The llonguet is a roll with a smooth texture, normally used for filled rolls or sandwiches and sold in most of the island's bars and cafeterias.

Although nowadays we can find panades in bakeries all year round, they used to only be made for Easter. They are prepared with unleavened dough and can be filled with meat, fish or peas. The cocarrois, in the shape of a pasty, contain a mixture of seasonal vegetables with raisins and pine nuts. The cocas are simple doughs covered with ingredients such as roasted red peppers or trempó: onion, green pepper and tomato seasoned with oil, salt and paprika.

Robiols are another speciality formerly only produced for Easter, but nowadays sold all year round. They are shaped like pasties and are filled with either angel's hair jam, ricotta style cheese, vanilla cream, chocolate or strawberry or apricot jam. The coca de patata is a specialty from Valldemossa, but found all over the island: A small puffed coca, with a smooth texture, covered in powdered sugar and usually eaten along with a cup of hot chocolate or a bowl of almond ice cream. The traditional apricot coca is made in spring and summer, when apricots are in season. The crespells, traditional Christmas cookies cut in a star, flower or heart-shape and covered in sugar, are a delight for children.

However, Mallorca’s star product is the ensaimada, a cake made in a spiral shape with flour, sugar, yeast, eggs and lard or saïm (hence the name ensaïmada), which is responsible for its texture and flavour. The most traditional ensaimadas are the smooth ones without filling or the angel’s hair jam filled ones, although they can be found filled with chocolate, vanilla cream, apricots or with dried fruit and sobrasada, the latter being typically made during the Carnaval.

Many bakeries, especially in Palma, have seating areas where patrons can savour their specialities, either for breakfast or for a light snack.