Menorcan Food and Drink

Currently there are four wineries and their associated vineyardson the island. Vine Sa Cudía in S'Albufera des Grau Nature Park, ViñasBinifadet near the village of Sant Lluís, Ferrer de Muntpalau in the townof Es Mercadal and Bodega Vi de S'Illa in Alaior.All of these enterprises offer guided visits around the winecellars and vineyards culminating in a wine tasting session.

Due to these enterprising initiatives Menorca now has an Illa de Menorca as a brandwhich includes white wines such as Chardonnay, Macabeo,Malvasía, Moscatel, Parellada and Moll, and red wines from CabernetSauvignon, Merlot, Monastrell, Syrah through to Tempranillo.

Nowadays there are a number of locally made liqueursbased on Mandarin, Orange, Peach and lemon juices.

For a start let us look at food and drink and especially at the National Dishes of Menorca. Firstly there is Sépia al Forn(baked cuttlefish), followed by Tumbet (a baked vegetable dish) and to follow Ensaimada(spiral-shaped bun)and Cuscusso (a Christmas dessert). However the King of MenorcanNational dishes has to be its Lobster casserole. It is strongly believed that theKing of Spain, King Juan Carlos, visits Fornells, in the north of the island wheneverhe is holidaying in nearby Menorca especially to enjoy the exquisite lobster stew.

To be fair anywhere along the Menorcan coast can provide you with the traditionallobster stew, as well as other food and drink, but Fornells is an especially charming fishing village. Here you can he takesthe opportunity of enjoy this delicacy in one of the few special restaurants inthe bay a terraza or outside terrace overlooking the sea with its fantastic views.

I am not certain whether this next paragraph is entirely appropriate to a discussion on food and drink but it doesshow the care that is taken in this Island to protect its exquisite lobster stew.The lobsters used are from the species of European lobsters, known scientifically asHomarus Gammarus, and come to the rocky coasts to feed on small animals, such as smallcuttlefish, mussels and sea urchins. It can grow up to 50 cm long and its shell is caughtreddish or lilac-coloured with spines to defend itself. It is caught the traditional way,with baskets placed like traps on the sea bed. Its weight ranges from 400 to 600 grams.this crustacean is protected in the Balearic Islands and can only be caught from the1st March to the 31st August. However it is forbidden to catch specimens which have notyet reached 19 cm in length.

Lobster is the basis for this delicious stew which is similar to a French fish stew calledBouillabaisse. Many of the restaurants keep their lobsters on display in large fishtanks and clients can choose the one they like most for their dish. In order to establishif the lobsters are fresh they should be lifted up by their front claws to see ifthey move their tail energetically. If they do not, they are not fresh lobsters!

Like its neighbouring islands, Menorca has an age old tradition of winemaking amongst its food and drink industries.This tradition was interupted at the end of British rule and on a numberof other occasions. In recent years vineyards have begun tocultivate different varieties of grapes and open wine cellars boostingan old tradition with new vigour.

There is also Estomagale a mild drink with a unique taste and texture.Calent an artisan drink which combines herbs, anis, cinnamon, wine andsaffron in a warm infusion. Tradition states thatthis drink has been prepared since antiquity, when the island was famous for its wines,and Calent based drink was prepared to give to theirfriends on holidays and especially at Christmas time.

No article on Menorcan food and drink is complete without the mention of Gin.

A locally made liqueurs is gin, made from grapes and perfumedwith juniper berries. The Gin Xoriguer distillery has been making this drinknow for almost a century. Minorcan gin (Gin Xoriguer) originated during the timesof the British rule in the 18th Century. Thousands of English sailors and soldiersarrived on Minorca to garrison the island. During their time off they visited the Tavernsand wanted to drink the fashionable drink of that time, gin. Gin wasunknown on the island but local tradesmen soon devised a way to produce the drinkusing imported juniper berries water and plant-based ethyl alcohol.

They used old copper stills, into which high quality winealcohol, juniper berries from the mountains and other aromaticherbs were placed. The resulting distillation was then stored in large oakbarrels before being bottled.

Menorcan Gin can be drunk neat, although it is traditionally drunk with sodaand lemon peel or with lemonade as 'pomada.

Menorcans have a very sweet tooth. This has led to the development of a vast array ofpastries and desserts. During your visit you should at least try the almond macaroons(carquinyols) or have an ensaimada with your morning coffee. This fluffy spiral pastry is made with flour, lard and sugar.

Menorca also has its own ice cream called La Menorquina . Its smooth, creamy taste is highlypopular and from its base in Alaior it is now sold throughout Spain.

Lastly one must not forget the Menorcan Cheese. Maó cheese (Menorca)is made fromcow's milk, unlike Majorcan cheese which uses goat's milk. Its popularity began to increase in popularitythanks to the increase in cattle breeding, mainly friesian cows, and to thelarge production of milk which was obtained. It was held in such high esteemthat an english engineer even said that 'the italians prefer menorcan cheese totheir own parmesan.

Most of the production today is mechanised, however this cheese is still made thetraditional way using the old methods. The milk is curdled using herbs, wrapped ina very fine white cloth and moulded into shape by hand until it becomes compact.

Maó cheese comes in several varieties depending on the maturation process, withdifferent aromas and flavours. The maturing period of the mild cheese (queso tierno)fluctuates between 21 and 60 days. It is a yellowish colour, with an aroma whichreminds one of butter and has a slightly acidic flavour.

If the maturing period is longer, the cheese is known as mature cheese (queso curado),much harder and with a more intense flavour. It is also made preserved in olive oil,giving rise to an exquisite product. There are several companies on the island whichspecialise in making cheese.

Menorca's culinary diversity in food and drink is expressed in a huge rangeof fish, shell-fish and meat recipes. Dishes as diverse as ‘couscous,’ of Arab origin and British ‘puddings.

Meat and its derivaties, tend to be fromthe traditional Menorcan farms, known as Llocs which have extensivefields for grazing and breeding. Menorcan calves (‘vedellamenorquina’), Menorcan lambs, a first-class breed of pig, plus various types of fowl such as chickens, capons andturkeys can all be obtained locally.

Menorca's fish and seafood deserve a special mention. As befitsan island surrounded by the warm sea provides a variety of fishand seafood. The result is that Mediterranean fish andseafood reaches Menorcan restaurants fresh and full offlavour and adds to the unique nature of Menorcan Food and Drink.