Whenever you travel, do you always like to try the local cuisine? Discover in today’s post some of the most traditional dishes in Menorca. This beautiful Mediterranean island has been declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco where, in addition to admiring its unique natural beauty and coves with fine sand and crystal-clear waters, you will end up falling in love with its culinary culture.

The history of the island is reflected in each of its recipes. Menorcan cuisine is characterised by dishes from the land and the sea. An excellent choice of fish and shellfish perfectly combined with vegetables, an original fusion of cultures, and the nature of the island itself, make Menorca a delight that Zafiro Hotels would love to share with you.

CONTENT

• Typical Menorca dishes: caldereta and oliaigua
• Mahonés cheese
• Menorca gin: Gin Xoriguer
• Formatjada, sweet or savoury

Typical Menorcan dishes: caldereta and oliaigua

Without a doubt, the caldereta stew is the most iconic dish in Menorcan cuisine.

An exquisite recipe cooked over a high heat in a clay pot, based on mixture of fried vegetables with Menorcan lobster. A speciality that was once a meal for fishermen and is now the star dish in all the restaurants in the beautiful village of Fornells and practically throughout the entire island. You must not leave Menorca without having tried it!

Oliaigua on the other hand is probably the humblest recipe in Menorcan cuisine.

This soup used to be eaten by peasant farmers due to the low cost of its key ingredients: water, oil and herbs. Over time, it has become a more elaborate and tasty soup, adding extra ingredients such as vegetables, boiled eggs, bread, figs, grapes and other fruit in summer.

It can be eaten as cold soup in summer or hot soup in winter, and you can find it in the vast majority of Menorcan bars and restaurants.

Mahonés cheese

The most widely recognised local product both in Menorca and internationally is Mahonés cheese, produced locally and with its own denomination of origin.

If you are a cheese lover, this is the destination for you. Follow the “Cheese Route” to learn more about the production process and taste all the different types of cheese produced in Menorca, from the softest to the most cured and aged.

Imagine beautiful scenery, a cheese tasting session with a glass of wine in good company... can you think of anything better?

Typical Menorcan gin

When Menorca was under British rule, the British could find no drinks on the island similar to their gin, until the day some Menorcans managed to create a delicious drink that still survives until this day. There is no festival or family event that is not accompanied by Gin Xoriguer

In a small or large glass, with ice, with lemon or just on its own. Choose the combination you like best for this peculiar gin made with juniper berries and distilled in copper stills. As it has a denomination of origin, it is also protected from any artificial additives, extracts or aromas.

And if you want to enjoy the full experience, end the day in the “Cova den Xoroi" This is a spectacular bar carved into the rocks on an amazing cliffside. Relax and savour a glass of gin as the sun says goodbye and immerses itself in the sea.

Formatjada, sweet or savoury

A sweet pasty stuffed with cottage cheese, although you can also find savoury versions with meat, vegetables and sobrasada. A delight at any time of day.

Without doubt, this is the most typical delicacy at Easter in Menorca. But it is also very popular and widely available all year round in the island bakeries.

If you are one of those people who appreciate great food, book a holiday in our Zafiro Menorca Hotel and savour the tastiest delicacies in Menorcan cuisine.