Typical products Menorca
Ciutadella's ancient core is the most beautiful of Minorca and to walk along him is comfortable and easily accesible. This is one of the motives for which Ciutadella has become into the favorite shopping center of natives of Menorca and visitors and the suitable place where to take a souvenir or Minorcan detail. The offer is the biggest and varied of the island.
Luckily, Menorca has preserved a number of typical products that have improved over the years. Whether in food, shoe store or at various local products and the market. Is essential to know them to understand because it is said that in Menorca we live very well.
This one is an essential summary for the visitor or tourist.
Shoe store:
Menorca has always been known for its shoe industry. There are still many important shoe factories and some brands that have passed strong international markets.
Despite this, the typical product are the avarques. These sandals are so characteristic of Menorca. They have been exported from years ago and are popular for both visitors and natives of Minorca.
Links:
Where to buy: Avarques massanet
Shoe Shops: Baleárica, Puerto Piel, Calçats Torres, La Torre.
Bakeries & Pastry shops:
The bakeries of Ciutadella are undoubtedly the best on the island. There you will find from the most typical and traditional products to the latest innovations in the field.
In the pastry shops we will find more than 100 traditional products that have been kept for tradition. The most popular are:
Perhaps the product most chosen between the visitors is ensaimada, present in all bakeries. That’s why it's so common to see people with the typical hexagonal box to take away. Nowadays there are several varieties, although the most common is the one refilled with “cabello de ángel”. But the most traditional ensaimada in Menorca, also known as coca bamba is more bulky and has no condiments. The traditional way to eat it is to wet it in chocolate for the breakfast.
There are other varieties of products, more discreet for small, but not less delicious. The most traditional are the carquinyols, small creaking and sweet cookie, the amargos, circular sweet of almond, or the pastissets.
Maybe the product for discovering is the tortada, a kind of traditional cake similar to the cake of Santiago, but spongier.
The pastry shops have also a wide range of local products to taste in Menorca. Formatjades are very characteristic (dumplings), there are pie of meat, cheese or cottage cheese. Crespells are also traditional, a flat and sweet cookie.
Links:
Where to buy: Pastisseria Moll i El diamante. Horno Can Diego
Market products:
Most of the meat and the fish sold on Ciutadella's market is of Minorcan origin. Hereby, there is guaranteed that the products are fresh and of good quality. In addition, the Minorcan waters present a few products difficult to be equal. Shrimps and lobsters, fish of all kinds can be find on the precious market placed in the Plaza of the Freedom. The best advice is to seek advice from the fishmongers who have no problem even to explain how to cook recipes.
As for sausages the sobrasada is outlined for his exceptional quality. Also it is very advisable to taste the cuixot or camot, the sausage or carnixua and the great and excellent variety of Minorcan cheeses. Although the name of origin it has the Queso Mahón Menorca, the natives of Minorca estimate so much or more the diverse cured cheeses and semis that can be found in the whole island. The Minorcan cheese is known for its salinity, but when one gets used to it the product it is formidable.
Links:
All fish and butcher
Also it is worth to taste the Honey Menorca a delicious product. But you can also find alcaparras and marmalades of good quality which certainly highlights the figat, traditional from Ciutadella, this thick jam of figs is unique and combines extraordinary with the Minorcan cheese.
Menorca is mainly known for its Xoriguer Gin which is distilled in the port of Mahon. Is the essential ingredient to produce the famous gin with lemonade or pomada, which is drunk in the traditional festivities of Menorca, the most famous and spectacular San Juan of Ciutadella.
Menorca has recently begun to recover ancient traditions almost lost as oil or wine. The wine is regenerating vigorously and in Menorca there are numerous brands that offer a good-tasting wines. It is worth to taste it to percive the flavor of the Minorcan land so near to the maritime salinity and that it’s also influenced by the strong wind of tramontana.
Links:
Es Celleret de Cas Compte, Ses Indústries, Pastisseria Moll, El Paladar
Cuisine:
The Minorcan kitchen has also a special own essence. Unfortunately there are not many restaurants that offer cuisine of the selected island, but in Ciutadella you can find some restaurants with traditional kitchen and with the best quality.
Some particularities of our kitchen it is the sauce mayonnaise(in his linguistic fault mayonnaise) that is own of the island and known internationally. But maybe the most interesting thing is to discover the fish and shellfish. And the plate most typical of Minorca is the renowned small cauldron of lobster. A strong and delicious soup that is the major summer plate. Other local dishes like the Oliaigua with figs it becomes difficult to find it in the restaurants for it’s simplicity.
Links:
Cas Ferrer, La Guitarra, Can Lluís, La Roma
Other products:
Another proper object of Menorca is the Coca Rossa or Minorcan chair. It is made in a small carpentry in the center of Ciutadella. This comfortable folding chair has had many imitations but they have never reached the comfort and resistance of the original.
Surely you will sit at them at any time if you go to one of the many terrace of Ciutadella’s bars.
