The new awakening of Menorcan cuisine

PalmMenorcan cuisine has gained momentum. Several young chefs are reinterpreting traditional recipes using local products, which are also experiencing a resurgence. "When Menorca's countryside stopped depending on the traditional farmstead, it had to reinvent and diversify, and this is evident both at home and in the kitchens of the best restaurants," concludes Bep Allès, a food journalist. The result is on display these days at events like the Menorcan Cuisine Showcase and the Fira Arrels, which offer a tasting of the island's new culinary creations. "The small revolution in the countryside has meant that there are now producers not only of cheese and wine, but also of honey, saffron, vegetables, olive oil, and cider, among other things, and each one is putting their own stamp on it, their own personality," summarizes Allès.

The producer sells directly to farmers' and municipal markets, as well as to restaurants, which will offer Tudons beef with Alparico olive oil or Binigarba cheese, as if it were an added touch of quality that enhances their dishes and demonstrates a greater commitment to the island. But local produce also reaches homes more easily.

Menorca, which was declared a European Region of Gastronomy in 2022, aspires to be recognized as a World Region of Gastronomy and a Protected Gastronomic Heritage Site. This latter initiative includes the claim that mayonnaise is a sauce originating in Menorca, a clear example of the island's unique culinary identity.

World Region of Gastronomy

On Saturday, September 27th, the first World Gastronomy Summit will take place at the Pedralbes Palace in Barcelona, and Menorcan cuisine will be the Spanish protagonist, alongside Catalan cuisine. "We will be sending a large delegation to assert that food is a universal right and essential for sustainable development," says Jaume Gomila, from Mahón, representative of IGCAT, the international institution organizing the event.

The Fray Roger Association for Gastronomy and Culture, named after the Franciscan friar from Ciutadella who wrote the book in the 18th century, will also be present. Art of CookingA decade ago, he contributed to the gastronomic awakening of Menorca and the recovery of traditional recipes, which, thanks to successive initiatives by various organizations, have highlighted the island's culinary heritage. "This heritage is exceptional," explains Gomila, "because it's quite unusual for the nobility and the bourgeoisie of the 18th century to have bothered to document what they cooked." The fact that Menorca is a Biosphere Reserve and that the Mediterranean diet is a protected asset also contributes to this. "Menorca has embarked on a path that has a very positive impact on residents and visitors, who are increasingly eager to experience the authenticity of being here," he explains.

This summer, the so-called 'Villa Le Blanc Declaration' was formalized at the luxurious Melià hotel in the Sant Tomàs resort (Es Migjorn Gran). There, the Fray Roger association, with the support of the Tourism Development Foundation, has committed to further developing cultural initiatives. Previous declarations by Mongofra (2014 and 2015), Cuarteradas (2019), and Son Vell (2024) already served to champion food sovereignty as a source of empowerment and the international projection of gastronomy as a key element in shaping Menorca as a tourist destination.

"The foodie "They are capable of traveling here just to taste a good wine or eat at a particular restaurant, but, once in Menorca, they also buy handicrafts and everything that allows them to experience being on the island," Gomila points out. José Bosch, president of the CAEB restaurateurs' association, defines it as "emotional tourism," "the people who visit us now. The new generations of chefs and the techniques that have been introduced, with new ways of cooking and presentation, of innovation, have given the necessary boost. "As Miquel Mariano says: 'Woe to the chef who wants to make Menorcan cuisine and has no knowledge of the traditional one!'" following the international competitions and the declaration of Menorca as a European Region of Gastronomy. "Great transformers who update the traditional recipes originating in the 18th century for the 21st century."

But the new cuisine should not be an exclusive luxury of the big restaurants, but rather "the old-fashioned village bar also arouses a lot of interest in a foodieBars that offer oven-baked eggplant or raolas also make what best represents our identity accessible to everyone.”

Even so, the president of the CAEB restaurateurs, José Bosch, believes that “we are still lagging behind. We have much to envy Mallorca for, but we are on the right track. Customers are looking for authenticity, and most restaurateurs cater to that. Those who stand out the most, in one way or another, have Menorcan wine, and if they make a hamburger, they use Menorcan red beef or Mahón cheese. They use local products and start with the recipes of our mothers and grandmothers, who are the best cooks there are.”

Gastronomic tourism is gaining ground, and “although it is not usually the primary reason for visiting Menorca, even if it is the third or fourth most popular attraction, it is already significant.” Gastronomy is a key part of the island's promotion and can be a deciding factor in choosing one place over another.

The drawback: the oversupply of restaurants

The main problem in this regard is that, "compared to this haute cuisine with established names" that is beginning to attract visitors, the number of impersonal establishments serving conventional pizza or hamburgers is steadily increasing. "There is still an oversupply of restaurants that prioritize quantity over quality," a trend that Bep Allès, president of the Balearic Islands' association of food journalists, attributes to "the resurgence of package holiday and urbanization tourism that has re-emerged since the post-pandemic period." This has been especially true this summer, when the oversupply in the restaurant sector, acknowledged by the industry association, has resulted in lower profits for the sector.

Allès believes that "we all need to put ourselves in each other's shoes and see that the cost of living has risen, the price of a place to eat has increased, and that means people are eating out less. Local produce is also more expensive, and restaurants have to bear significant costs to maintain qualified staff, or at least staff who are qualified. For this citizen journalist, the profession should also be valued outside of the big restaurants. "Not everyone has to want to be a Joan Roca or a Ferran Adrià. You can be just as good a professional working as a cook in a neighborhood bar."