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Climate
Mallorca´s
climate is typically Mediterranean, with warm average temperatures and
seasonal rains, the summer period being both hot and dry. The annual
rainfall varies across the island, from 350mm in the south to 1,500mm in
the high areas on the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range. However, most
of the island receives between 450mm and 650mm of precipitation over the
year. 40% of the annual total falls in autumn, between September and
November; 25% falls in spring, between March and May; 25% falls in
winter, from December to February; and summer, from June to August, sees
just 10% of the yearly rain. The island´s rainfall is characterised by
its irregularity, varying radically from one year to the next, even
reaching the point where there are drought conditions. Most of the rain
that falls is concentrated within a few days of precipitation, with some
very heavy rains in autumn and lighter rains over the rest of the year.
Excluding the high mountain areas, the average annual temperature is
between 16ºC and 18ºC, with a maximum summer average of 29-31ºC and a
minimum average winter night-time temperature of 5-9ºC, although
temperatures of over 35ºC and below -2ºC are recorded almost every year,
and temperatures occasionally reach 41ºC in summer and fall to -6ºC in
winter.
Mallorca´s (Majorca) physical geography is shaped by
the sea, which is deep, calm and relatively warm, with surface
temperatures that reach 26ºC in August and stay above 14ºC in winter.
Mallorca (Majorca) is the only place in the world where the temperature
at the sea bed never drops below 13ºC. The sea regulates the island´s
climate and means that seasonal temperature variations aren´t as marked
as they are on continental land masses at the same latitude. Travelling
between 300 and 400km to the north or south, we find the European
mainland, which cools dramatically in winter, and the warm Sahara Desert
respectively, a fact which influences the unique features of Mallorca´s
(Majorca) climate.
Mallorca´s (Majorca) sea breeze is known as the Embat;
this wind is formed locally and is a result of the daily heating of the
land in contrast to the regular sea temperature. The air that heats
above land tends to rise and thus the cooler sea air is drawn towards
the island. This means that the daily temperatures in summer
Gastronomy
Mallorcan
cuisine is genuinely Mediterranean and is enjoyed in homes throughout
the island or in cellers - the name given to traditional Mallorcan
restaurants, which are often housed in the cellars which were used for
wine production in the past. There are many cellers in the island´s
villages and in Palma de Mallorca, though the most well-known are those
in Sineu, Inca and Petra.
There are many
characteristic dishes within Mallorcan cuisine, such as Mallorcan Soups made with fine slices of bread in a hot broth and accompanied by
vegetables and, sometimes, a bit of meat.
Trempó is a salad par excellence; it accompanies most meals in summer and
consists of pieces of tomato, red pepper and onion, with a dressing of
olive oil, vinegar and salt.
Tumbet is another typical accompaniment in summer; it is made from
finely-sliced potatoes, aubergine and peppers, which are fried up and
covered with a tomato sauce.
Pa amb Oli
(bread with oil) is sliced bread with local ramallet tomato squeezed over
it along with a dash of olive oil and a pinch of salt; it is accompanied
by cheese, grilled meat or cold sausage meat.
The most
highly-appreciated roast meat on the island is
Porcella (pork) and Mutton, with young animals selected.
Arròs Brut
is a broth of rice with an abundance of meat and some
vegetables.
Paella, though originally from Valencia, is also cooked on Mallorca, where it
is also known as
arròs sec; it is normally made with vegetables, meat and seafood.
Albergínies Farcides (aubergines stuffed with meat) are lightly fried with
olive oil and then baked in a tomato sauce.
Frit Mallorquí, also known as Freixura, consists of offal fried with potatoes and
vegetables.
Caragols (snails) are elaborately cooked on Mallorca, with aromatic herbs used in the
preparation. This is possibly the dish which people find most exotic,
once the initial reticence caused by these molluscs has been overcome,
as they are really very tasty.
The
Mediterranean offers a wide variety of fish, which are delicious after
simply being grilled. One of the most elaborate ways of cooking fish is
Peix al Forn (baked fish) with an abundance of vegetables.
Calamars Farcits (squid stuffed with meat) is a typical dish, as is Llampuga amb Pebres (dophin fish with peppers) - this fish is caught in
autumn and served fried with peppers and potatoes.
Peix Escabetxat
is a fish which is fried and left to cool in a sauce of
oil and vinegar with a bit of onion.
In the
bakeries we find
pa mallorquí
(Mallorcan bread), which is a round loaf made without
salt that forms a part of all meals. We also find ensaimada, which is a
spiral-shaped pastry made with flour, sugar and animal fat that forms a
part of all celebrations on the island.
Gató
is another typical pastry; it is made with almonds and often accompanied
with ice-cream.
Coques de verdures (vegetable pastries), some with parsley, others with grilled peppers or
ingredients from trempó, are typical and are found in every bakery.
Cocarrois
have a half-moon shape and are made with different
vegetables or onion covered in pastry.
Robiols are made around Easter; these are half-moon-shaped sweet pastries which
are stuffed with curds or jam.
Crespells (sweet pastries) and
panades (round pastries stuffed with meat and peas) are thought to be lewis in
origin. Greixonera is a sweet pastry which isn´t found in bakeries; it
is made with a sweet pastry and egg base which can also include curds.
The most weel
known type of sausage meat is Sobrassada, which is made from pork, fat
and paprika.
Botifarrons (black pudding) and pork offal are also made on the island.
Camaiot
is made with a similar process to black pudding, but it
is larger.
Finally, also
popular are
Mallorcan and Maonès (from the town of Mahon on Menorca)
cheese, the latter of which is made on Menorca and is highly-appreciated on
Mallorca.
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