Carob Beans-Past and Future

Many of us haven’t ever heard or thought about carob bean since sometime in the 1990’s when it was  marketed as a healthy substitute for chocolate in our diets. It just didn’t quite catch on except for a certain type of health enthusiast. But with an abundant supply on Mallorca and some pretty serious health benefits, it may be time to take a second look at these bizarre-looking little pods with a long and important history on Mallorca.

Carob beans are actually legumes. They grow from old stems on short flower stalks, are quite broad and leathery-looking and can be as long as 30 centimetres in length. The taste is less bitter than chocolate and the flavour nutty. It’s naturally sweet, so additional sugar is often not required when used in cooking. The carob bean has an exceptional nutritional content and, in some circles, has been elevated to a super food category. Carob contains vitamins A, B, B2, B3 and D and it contains three times more calcium than milk. Carob is an excellent alternative to cocoa, as it is free from caffeine and fat. A powerful mix of fibre and minerals, it has been said it can help to reduce cholesterol and may even reduce the risk of heart disease as its contains antioxidants that can reduce high cholesterol.

One of Mallorca’s traditionally most important crops, the algarroba fruit or carob fruit. They are endemic to the Mediterranean and the Middle East where they have been cultivated for more than four millennia. The Algarrobo tree (Ceratonia siliqua or carob tree) is very characteristic of the Mediterranean region,carob trees love dry climates, and grow on land that isn’t much good for anything else. In Spain, it's the shape of the fruit that gave them their name, as Algarroba is the Persian word for "donkey's jawbone. Also known as “St. John’s Tree”, carob is even referenced in the Bible because, it is said that John the Baptist fed himself on carob beans in his time in the wilderness, which is why they are often called locust beans. The Moors first started growing carob as a crop and when the Spanish took over, they brought the tree to Mexico and South America. 

Its wood has traditionally been used as firewood, and its fruit, the carob, was used as feed for draught animals. There was a significant increase in the consumption of carobs between the last third of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, and this was linked to the consumption by animals. Large quantities of carobs were exported both abroad and to Spain, but the progressive decline in the use of draught animals reduced the demand in carob beans. However, other uses were found for the carob, such as in the industrial production of chocolate with carob substituting cocoa and in the extraction of sugars, alcohol and laxatives.

 During the period of the Spanish Civil War and the post-war years, in which much of Spain suffered famine. The pods were ground to make a flour which made a coarse peasant bread. The carob also took on a special significance in the production of foodstuffs that could not be easily imported, such as coffee. In rural Mallorca there was at least one tree, planted close to the houses for shade and for the simple fact that it supplied nourishing food in times of the greatest need. During the Spanish Civil War children chewed on algarrobas as their favourite sweets.

The annual algarroba harvest is during September and October. You will see Mallorcan farmers beating long dark carob beans off their trees with long sticks. Unfortunately, in Mallorca over the last few years Algarrobo trees are more and more neglected. The cost of manpower is too high nowadays to harvest the carob pods and the cost per kilo too low. So, as with the majority of traditional cultivations, the carob tree has been in recession.

But all is not lost. Carob is an organic product and completely vegan and a developing market does exist, companies are looking at new ways to use these abundant crops and there is also a recovery foundation to help save the trees. In collaboration with APAEMA  – Association for the Ecological Farming Production of Mallorca, the Mallorca Preservation Foundation is funding the regeneration of 2000 non-productive carob trees in Mallorca from 2020.

For three generations, the family business of Es Garrover de Mallorca has been dedicated to the production and transformation of carob beans for animal consumption. However, Juana Verger decided to grow, process and sell organic Mallorcan carob intended for human consumption too.

Under the brand Johannis, Es Garrover de Mallorca produces a wide range of wonderful carob products. The passion dedicated in returning that superb qualities of carob to human consumption is a wonderful example of how talent and determination can return to agriculture and return the lost treasures of our ecosystem back into our diets and support our good health.

 https://www.esgarroverdemallorca.com/

I hope if you able, you will try some of these products. The Carob tree is very much part of the landscape of Mallorca and it would a terrible lose if they disappeared.

 

 

 

 

  

Fiesta- A Good Reason To Have A Party

The one thing that I remember most from my travels were the sheer amount of Fiesta’s everything from parties in a private house to street parties to fiestas or fetes involving the town or city. Although religious events are often celebrated the biggest been Semana Santa at Easter, overall, any excuse seems to be a good reason to hold a party for the fun-loving Spanish.

Fiesta or Fete translates to a party, holiday or feast and usually its a mix of all three. The verb is festejar which is to celebrate, and this certainly the case from what I has seen.

In Barcelona in August, the neighbourhood of Gràcia explodes into celebration. The Festa Major de Garcia lasts a week, in the day and evening. Taking part in over 20 streets in Gràcia. Although drinking, dancing and partying dominate the evening, the festival also features cultural activities and a fire run (correc) as well as activities for children during the day.

I feel that certainly the street events brought the communities together much more than in the UK. Both young and old taking part. Although the recent pandemic has affected this and people in Britain are now more community- spirited than previously. I spent several months working in a rural location in Andalusia and the nearest small village held fiestas regularly with everyone in the village attending. Every village, no matter how small, has its own, unique celebrations.

Whilst thousands of festivals are celebrated all over Spain throughout the year there are only a few that bring overseas visitors specifically for the event. In mid- March the Falles Festival takes place. It’s a traditional celebration held in commemoration of Saint Joseph in the city of Valencia, Spain. The term Falles refers to both the celebration and the monuments burnt during the celebration. It has been declared an event of Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The whole of the city becomes an enormous street party, with parades, paella competitions and bullfights. Each night there is a firework display culminating in La Nit de Foc on the 18th March. The following night la Cremà takes place when all the ‘ninots’ which have been stuffed full with fireworks are burnt.

The official focus for the festival is San José, the patron saint of carpenters. Starting in the Middle Ages, carpenters hung planks of wood called ‘parots’ in the winter to support their candles whilst working. In spring these pieces of wood were burned as a way of celebrating the end of winter. After a while they began to put clothing on the ‘parot.’ These became the forerunners of the contemporary ‘ninots’ the enormous papier-mâché figures of today. It’s a loud, busy, colourful festival, not for the faint-hearted but a wonderful experience.

Medieval history is celebrated in many of the festivals in Spain. The annual Medieval fair in Capdepera, in Majorca, is set in the streets leading up to the Medieval castle that overlooks the town and is a popular event for adults and children alike. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, carpenters, shoemakers and ceramists are among the long list of artisans who offer Medieval inspired products to sell. Expect to see jousting, jugglers, falconry displays, stilt-walkers and fire-eaters. Traditional food and drink stalls are scattered throughout the event selling all kinds of Medieval fair. It wouldn’t be a Spanish fair without an excessive amount of food! The finale is a walk up to the castle by candlelight, which was atmospheric and an unforgettable memory.

 A similar festival takes place in Ibiza. To celebrate the declaration of Ibiza's Dalt Vila as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, every May the old- town hosts vibrant celebrations including three days of street parties, musical performances, artists and medieval re-enactments. As an added bonus, entry to all galleries and museums in Dalt Vila is free during the festival.

If you are planning a holiday do look in the local guides and see what is going on as not only is this great, often free entertainment it’s a wonderful way to see the culture and understand the history of the area.Many festivals have been cancelled for 2020 but I am sure they will be back with a great big bang in 2021.

Celebrating Foods from the Land

As I have mentioned in my previous blog posts, farming and the crops produced play a large part of the economy of Spain. Much of the produce for Europe is grown. Traditions are often passed on from generation to generation. Now some of the festas associated with food today do attract visitors and tourists are important financially but these festivals celebrating food and the land mean far more to the locals than just money.

The Mantaca- is a family affair, once a year, on this day the famous Black Majorcan pig – Porcella Negra is slaughtered, the butcher is the matador, every section of the pig is used and preparation tasks are allocated to all the family and guests, after the work is done, food and drink is offered to all those  taking part on the day and the evening is a festa of music and dancing after the hard work is done. In some ways this seems a bit gruesome to us, but in a farming community these customs were about the survival for the villages in the winter months and everyone helped. Rural traditions have gone into decline, but in 2019, in Campos, in Majorca, a day dedicated to the Balearic sausage- from the Majorcan black pig was started this is called the Feria de la Sobrasada. Many similar days take place and now these show the gastromery of the  local cuisine to tourists.

 In Extremadura in central Spain, El Festival Trasfornterizo del Gurumelo, is a festival for a rare mushroom local to the area. Gurumelo mushrooms are difficult to find so hundreds of people turn out to look for them and enjoy the food stalls, tasters and workshops.

Sa Festa d’s Melo in Villafranca De Bonnay in September, has taken place since 1994, the climax of the day been the Concurs d’Es Melo, the biggest melon competition, a highlight in the local farmers (Meloners) calendar, there’s also a melon eating competition as well as a melon lantern festival in the evening.

Many of the festas celebrating foods from the lands are linked to harvesting, a way of having some enjoyment after the hard work is done.

LLubi, also in the centre of the island (the Pla) there are bee-keeping traditions that have gone on for centuries. Honey was once only for the upper classes. Now in June, everyone can try foods, drink even soap made from honey.

In Colonia De Sant Jordi in April there is a festival to celebrate Ses Santines, giving tours of the saltworks and giving tasters of salt-cured foods and the many varieties of salt, which is a natural resource from the island.

Later on, in the year in October is the Feria Del Pimento in Felanitix, in honour or Red peppers a key ingredient in many of the local dishes.

Sa Pobla, in the centre of Majorca is famous for growing potatoes, many end up been sold in the UK.  in June there is an evening called Fra Nocturina de La Patatas. The main square, is filled with food stalls selling typical Majorcan dishes featuring Potato as a key ingredient like: Tumblet, Coca da Patatas and Bunyols but also more creative dishes like: Ice Cream, Potato and apple strudel and Potato Brownie. The prices are very affordable and are tapas sized so you can try lots of different dishes, it does get very busy.  I really enjoyed this night and tasted some very unusual food and was surprised at how much potatoes can be used in cooking.

During the year, you will be able to find a local festa for all sorts of different foods, herbs and drinks as well as local artisan markets with a range of local foods and delicacies. It is well worth going to these to sample a real taste of the local culture.

Local Cuisine- Majorca

On my journey around Spain in particularly Majorca I got to try much of the local cuisine, now I didn’t love everything I tried, Gazpacho for one, I don’t really get the idea of a cold soup, but I tried some wonderful local dishes that I would highly recommend and will tell you about in more detail. Tapas is a great way of sampling a little of something, a bit like putting a toe in the water.

Spanish (particularly Majorcan) cuisine is strongly influenced by Muslin/Moorish cooking and many of the foods regarded as Spanish were Arabic in origin. Because they missed many of their sweet and spicy flavours from home the Arabs introduced; almonds, apricots, pine nuts, capers, aniseed and cinnamon.  The irrigation systems used by the Arab’s, benefited Majorcan farming greatly meaning that fruits like: apples, pears, cherries, peaches, apricots and pomegranates could then be grown in the climate and soil conditions. It was Spanish seafarers, when travelling the world, who returned with pineapples, grapefruit, lemons and clementine’s. The Roman empire had also brought its influences as well with fig trees, Asian in origin, despite all this there remains a distinct Majorcan cuisine. Food and drink are very much part of the Spanish culture. The ocean surrounding the island brings a bounty of fish and seafood, the Pla, is the rural heartland of the island with fields, almond and carob trees and livestock. The tramuntana with its olive trees and Valley of Gold, with long rows of fragrant orange trees. The vineyards around Binnissalem where you find the oldest wine estates are becoming internationally known.

In Majorca, I was fortunate to be taken for meals in local restaurants and invited into the homes of  local people. The various ingredients were explained to me and the cooking methods.  For many years’ restaurants have catered to the tastes of tourists. I am happy to see that authentic dishes are been introduced once more. I think that for too long many of the local dishes have been seen as peasant food however, these dishes use local and seasonal produce and although at times are simple in technique and appearance are also really delicious. The tastes of tourists are changing and they want to try food which is more genuine. In the cosmopolitan city of Palma, with the mix of old and new, top chefs like Marc Fosh are basing Michelin star cuisine on traditional, classic dishes.

Sitting down together for a meal is something I very much enjoy with my own family, its very much about a chance to catch up and talk about the day as well as eating. A typical home-cooked meal would most likely be a stew or rice dish placed in the centre with a salad, bread and side dishes like fried green peppers. (Padron) Two of my favourites are Sopes Mallorquines and Arroz Brut (dirty rice). Sopes Mallorquines is a slow cooked vegetable stew with Pan Moreno rye bread in the bottom, this has cabbage, peas, onion, leeks, french beans, garlic and sweet paprika, my Majorcan friend tells me that usually you put in whatever you have in your fridge or cupboard. Frito Mallorquin is similar with peppers, onions, artichokes, potatoes, aubergine and lamb or liver. Arroz Brut is like a paella but uses rabbit or chicken liver and is more like a rice soaked in meat stock. Tumbet is like Ratatouille, with potaes, peppers, aubergine, onion and garlic and can be a main meal or tapas.

Pa- Amb- Oli- is bread with tomatoes and olive oil and garlic, it can be eaten for breakfast or as a snack and there are opposing views of how to make it as Catalans and Majorcans differ on their views, however The way I was shown is taking a slice of Pan Moreno rye bread, this can be toasted, rubbing a peeled raw garlic over then the pulp of half a tomato and then drizzling with olive oil. Its almost a performance but just wonderful with a glass of wine.

Sobrasada is a cured pork sausage softer than chorizo so more like a spread. This should be made from the Black pig- Porc Negre. The sausages are seasoned with paprika, salt and pebre vermell. (Ground dried picant Red peppers these give the red colour) There are several sizes; LLonganissa, Cular and the largest are bufetes. Look for Sobrassada de Mallorca de Cerdo Negro as these are still made in the genuine way.

Vegetation and Vegan food are becoming more popular but many of the traditional dishes are based round meat like slow cooked Majorcan lamb, with rosemary, thyme and garlic, sucking pig- Porcella and botifarrons-a  blood sausage quite like black pudding.

A visit to Majorca would not be complete without trying Ensaimada’s which are a flaky pastry using a flour and lard-based dough, siam is lard, this is rolled thinly then coiled into a spiral, visit Forn des Teatre or the Old Town in Palma. In Valldemosa, they have a variation which is Coca de Patatas, which is a sweet potato bun using lard and sugar. I will post recipes at a later time. Both are great with a coffee if you have a sweet tooth like me!

Many foods take me back to Majorca instantly: tomatoes, peppers, figs, oranges, almonds and olives. I have been involved in growing and picking these and the fragrances and colours always make me feel happy and warm on cold, grey winter days in the UK.

I think that the enjoyment of eating with others and preparing simple food with local ingredients and love is at the heart of Majorcan cooking.

Markets- Indoor and Outdoor

I love visiting markets, as a child my grandmother often took me and my sister to our local market, so this has stuck with me as a favourite memory. Today in the UK many of the original indoor markets have closed but these are now having a revival as well as numerous farmers markets, which I think is great as this is encouraging local businesses.

In Spain, the markets both inside and outside are a riot of colour and a buzz of activity, a celebration of the Spanish love of good food and drink. The array of fresh produce, seafood, meats, breads, delicatessens, wine, spices, freshly squeezed fruit juices and cheese are wonderful I can smell the oranges and lemons and fresh bread in my head,  It makes me hungry just thinking about it!

Many of the famous markets are tourist attractions however, the amazing architecture of La Boqueria in Barcelona, with 200 stalls is the oldest and largest market, and the Art Nouveau inspired Mercado Central in Valencia are still worth going to see. Perfect to have tapas and a glass of wine or Hotcha and Churros and watch the world go by and one of the best ways to observe the local culture.

I try to go to the markets that the locals visit, the produce is better and there is a chance to practise my language skills: In Mallorca: Santa Maria Del Cami is a small outdoor market on Sundays with a good selection of Organic vegetables, the Market in Pollenca also on Sunday is more expensive but more varied in produce and it’s a beautiful town to visit. Arta, on Thursdays has an Authentic craft and Artisan market, which is a big step up from the other weekly markets, which tend to have stock imported from China and are really just for tourists. If you do go to the larger markets like Inca  always haggle because the prices have been inflated, you could end up paying half the marked price if you do.  The covered markets:Mercat de Oliver in the centre of Palma and Mercat De Santa Catalina (Food Co-op) are both good markets for local foods and are surrounded by small eateries. In Madrid, Mercado San Miguel is a lively market to eat and drink and perfect for the day and evening. In Malaga the Mercado Central De Atarazanas is away from the main city but well worth a short walk as this is an upcoming area, with smaller independent shops and bars and this lively market has a stunning glass arch.  

Many hotels and travel companies do offer trips to local markets but if you can go on your own do, as you will find this to be a much more authentic experience.