The red secret of the sobrasada

Hanging on strings, these red peppers hang like curtains from the walls in the sun to become the island's typical pepper, which is used for making the sobrasada and is responsible for the red color of the sausages.

The pebre bord (pepper) de tap from Cortí is an exclusive Mallorcan variant; tt is essential for the preparation of different dishes. These peppers have been cultivated on the island for centuries. After the harvest, the peppers are raised on cords and hung on the facades of the houses to dry. Thus these cords decorate the houses of the place like a fire-red `curtain '. A picture of old times, which is now seen step by step again. After drying, the pepper peaks are baked in the oven to remove the last residual moisture; then the peppers are grinded with a millstone.

Thanks to its antioxidants and its preservatives it is one of the most important ingredients in the production of the famous sobrasada de Mallorca and gives the sausage its characteristic color.

In recent years different groups have succeeded in reviving the autochthonous pebre bord de tap from Cortí variant, which reached the island from America in the 16th century. The Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria-Tuscany, who used a taste for the Balearic cuisine, praised the characteristics of this product grown on Mallorca against that which came from the outside.

The houses of Santa Maria del Camí, Sant Jordi or Pòrtol continue to cover their facades with the red curtains of the pebre bord de tap de Cortí during the drying season of this peculiar peppers. The image is reminiscent of the old times, which are now being revived thanks to the efforts of organizations such as Slow Food Balears.