Balearic cuisine
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Balearic Islands cuisine refers to the typical dishes and ingredients in the cuisine of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Balearic traditional cuisine is deeply related to the concept of Mediterranean diet, this is, rich in vegetables, cereal and legumes and low in fats.
A succinct selection of the main recipes would be lobster stew, cheese and wine.
Bakery and confectionery
Unsalted bread
Ensaimada (lard cake)
Flaó (cottage cheese tart): the mixture includes eggs, cream cheese, sugar and mint. The mixture of savoury and sweet flavours may reflect Arab influence from the Islamic past of the islands.
Coca (similar to Italian pizza but without cheese). Typically Majorcan varieties include Parsley (juliverd), roasted peppers (prebes torrats), trampó (tomato, green pepper and onion salad)
Easter cakes like panades (meat cakes) or robiols (cottage cheese cakes)
Vegetables
Traditional vegetables dishes are Tumbet (fried zucinni, potato, aubergine and bell pepper baked in tomato sauce). Tumbet is related to similar Mediterranean gastronomical concepts like samfaina or ratatouille.
Another one is Fava parada,which is a fava bean and mixed vegetable puree.
Meat
Traditional sausages like sobrassada ,lamb and piglet roasts (mè rostit, porcella rostida).
Eggplants or zucinnis stuffed with minced meat
Arròs brut (dirty rice)is a dish with meat, game and vegetables, rice and spices cooked in a meat broth.
Fish
Lobster stew (caldereta)
Different baked fishes, like grouper (anfós)
Arròs de peix, rice cooked in a fish broth with fish pieces
Fats
Olive oil is the most commonly used fat in cooking. Butter is used sparingly, even in dishes frequently relying upon butter in other parts of the world, e.g., fried eggs (huevos fritos)
Historians argue that mayonnise originates from the capital of Menorca, Maó, which is a sauce made of olive oil and eggs.
Other
Maó cheese (cow cheese vaguely resembling Grana Padano or Parmesan), and red wines from the Binissalem and Pla i Llevant areas. This delicious cuisine is more and more entwined in mainstream gastronomy and is currently being mixed into more moderns recipes in fusion cuisine.