Palma de Mallorca, 05th Nov 04

NEWS ON GASTRONOMY AROUND MALLORCA

NEW FOOD & WINE ROUTES LAUNCHED, NEW FOOD EMPORIUM TO OPEN IN PALMA AND LATEST FOODY BOOK AVAILABLE NOW IN UK AND ON MALLORCA.

Two years ago the Balearic Ministry of Agriculture launched a series of food and wine routes around Mallorca. These routes, which were originally intended for residents, focus on local family firms producing wine, cheese, local sausage (sobrasada), organic products including almonds, fruit & vegetables, jams etc…. They have become so popular with visitors that the programme has been expanded in the latest brochure, which is now available in English.

These routes provide an excellent way to discover and sample the best of Mallorca’s traditional food products and see the island at the same time. Five routes are featured in the new brochure, which take in different areas of the island focusing on:

Wine - split into four routes including the two main wine producing regions of Mallorca; D.O. Binissalem, D.O. Pla I Llevant and Vins de la Terra including wines identified by geographical location.

The D.O. (Denominación de Origen) guarantees the origin of the wine and its quality. In D.O. Binissalem (taking in the villages of Santa Maria, Santa Eugenia, Consell, Binissalem and Sencelles) red, rosé, white and sparkling wines are produced, and the majority of the grapes used include Manto Negro and Moll. In the D.O. Pla I Llevant (including the villages of Algaida, Porreres, Felantix, Petra and Manacor). The white wines are made from Moscatel, Chardonnay and Moll grapes and the reds are made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Callet, Merlot and Syrah grapes.

Vins de la Terra (or the regional wines category) include red, rosé and white wines from the Serra de Tramuntana – Costa Nord region, and other local wines taking in four bodegas in Andratx, Alaro, Inca and Pollenca.

Olive Oil – is produced all over the island, but one of the main centres is Soller where extra virgin oil is made with the Mallorquina, Arbequina and Picual olive varieties to give it a highly distinctive taste.

Sobrassada – a traditional cold meat product (resembles a cross between sausage and paté) made from selected pork, which is minced and seasoned with red pepper, salt and spices. Five producers are featured in Soller, Maria de la Salut, Porreres, Felanitx and Arta.

Organic Produce – featuring seven producers at Capdepera, Llucmajor, Algaida, Santa Maria, Consell, Manacor and Soller offering nuts, jams, fruit and vegetables, wines, and pre-cooked organic foods.

Cheese – three producers at Llucmajor, Porreres and Campos are included featuring uncooked, pressed cheeses, made from cow/sheep or goat’s milk.

Production of cheese, sausage (sobrasada), wine, almonds, may be small on Mallorca compared to the Spanish mainland, but these products have their own distinctive Mallorcan character, and the family firms involved in their production are fiercely proud of the traditional methods they use.

Visitors wishing to sample any of the products features on these routes can either visit the factory within business hours or, call any of the numbers featured on the leaflet (available in tourist offices on the island) to organise a visit. In addition, a free excursion featuring a different route each week. Departing from Palma (in front of main bus station) on Saturday mornings at 09.00. Although this excursion is conducted in Spanish, all visitors are welcome to join in.

Information is given in English on their website: www.illesbalearsqualitat.com

NEW FOOD EMPORIUM OPENS IN PALMA

Mallorca’s latest Michelin Star chef, British born, Marc Fosh, is to open a new food emporium in Palma combining a delicatessen, kitchen utensil/gadget shop and cookery school. The objective of the centre is to provide a platform for fresh, quality, local produce.

Visitors will be able to watch kitchen staff prepare dishes in the store’s open kitchen whilst they enjoy a light snack or sample food from one of the tasting stations.

As of January 2005, Fosh will feature a curriculum of different courses throughout the year with different syllabuses from simple Mediterranean and traditional Spanish dishes right through to Asian cuisine.

More information: www.foshfood.com info@foshfood.com

THE TASTE OF A PLACE - MALLORCA

Visitors wishing to read up on what Mallorca has to offer can now buy Vicky Bennison’s book; “A Taste of a Place Mallorca”, in the UK and on Mallorca. It provides a colourful and well researched guide to food, shopping, culinary tours, markets, restaurants, local products and how they are made, and the various different ways of preparing local dishes.


PRESS INFORMATION NOW ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE UK FROM:

Julie Angove. Tel: 01582 762 132 or email: julie@angove.co.uk

For further information, please contact:
Mallorca Tourist Board, Dominique Carroll / Anna Skidmore,
Tel:(+34) 971 725 396 Fax: (+34) 971 713 540
E-Mail: info@fomentmallorca.org

Further Press Releases:

FIVE NEW HOTEL OPENINGS IN MALLORCA SPRING – SUMMER 2013 (31st May 13)

GOOD NEWS FOR MALLORCA IN 2012 (09th Feb 12)

THREE KINGS - THE FESTIVITIES CONTINUE! (05th Jan 12)