Contents: Mallorcan Specialities - Wine - Other Alcoholic Drinks - Soft drinks.
	Mallorcan cuisine, based on pork, fish and vegetables with generous use of garlic and olive oil, is hearty peasant fare steeped in tradition and rooted in local ingredients. Not long ago every village would celebrate the matanca, the winter slaughter of pigs, with songs and dancing and the making of hams and sausages for the coming year. Sausages come in several varieties - sobrasada (raw minced pork with hot red pepper) and botifarro (cured pork with blood), as well as spicy chorizo from Spain. And no bar would be complete without its jamon serrano, a whole cured ham displayed on an attractive slicing-board. Mallorcan Specialities A side effect of the matanca was frit mallorqui, a fry-up of the most perishable offal with potatoes, onions and tomatoes. Nowadays you find it on menus alongside tumbet, a Mallorcan-style ratatouille of aubergines, potatoes and peppers in olive oil, and sopes mallorquines, a thick broth of thinly-sliced brown bread and vegetables. Other classic dishes include llom amb col (pork wrapped in cabbage with pine nuts and raisins) and lechona asada (roast suckling pig). Paella is not a Mallorcan dish but it is widely available; paella ciega (blind man's paella) comes without bones. The local equivalent is arros brat ('dirty rice'), saffron rice cooked with chicken, pork and vegetables. Fish is mostly imported and frozen - restaurants have to state this - but lobster, prawns, sardines and sea bass are all good. The latter, baked in rock salt, is a Mallorcan speciality. Desserts are not Mallorca's strong point - often the choice is between helado (ice cream) and flan (creme caramel). An interesting alternative is gato de almendras, almond cake served with toasted almond ice-cream. Mallorcans are very proud of ensaimadas, fluffy, spiral-shaped pastries dusted with sugar and filled with anything from pumpkin jam to sobrasada sausage; the secret ingredient is said to be the lard in the pastry. Cheeses include Mahon from Menorca and Manchego from central Spain as well as local varieties. Wine The vi or vino de la casa will invariably be Mallorcan, but most bottled wine is imported from Spain. The best red wines come from La Rioja - wine labelled crianza is aged in oak for at least a year, reserva for two, gran reserva for three. Penedes red and white wines from Catalunya are good value; Cava, Spanish sparkling wine, is from the same area. But don't disparage Mallorcan wines - the best stand comparison with anything at the same cost from mainland Spain. Other Alcoholic Drinks Spanish and imported beer (cenveza) are available everywhere - for draught beer, ask for una caņa. Sherry is always fino - dry and chilled. Spanish brandy (coņac) comes in a bewildering variety of bottles and is added to coffee at any time of day. Leading brands include Fundador, Magno and Soberano. Gin is manufactured on Menorca - ask for Xoriguer brand. Local liqueurs include herbas secos (dry) and herbas dulces (sweets), both based on aniseed and packed full of herbs. Soft Drinks Tap water is safe but everyone drinks mineral water - con gas is sparkling, sin gas is still Freshly-squeezed orange juice (zumo de naranja) is refreshing and delicious. An unusual local drink is orxata or horchata, almond milk. Cafe solo is a small shot of strong black coffee; cafe con leche comes with hot milk and carajillo has brandy added. Tea (te) is invariably a tea-bag. If you want something less stimulating, ask for manzanilla (camomile) or poliomenta (peppermint tea).