Figs in Mallorca
Fig isn’t just a fruit, it’s an important part of local culture, gastronomy and agriculture. The island’s climate with a hot summer and mild winter is perfect for its cultivation, therefore the figs here turn out especially sweet, juicy and fragrant. The harvest season begins in June with the early varieties (brevas) and the main harvest takes place from late July until September. There are tens of fig varieties cultivated in Mallorca. The especially valued are «Coll de Dama Negra» with dark skin and rich taste, light «Blanca de Ciutat» and «Bordissot Negre», famous for its fragrance and soft texture.
In Mallorca, figs are consumed in a variety of forms: fresh – as a dessert or as an addition to cheese and meat, dried – as a tasty winter snack, and also as a jam. They are added to salads, desserts and even meat dishes. Especially popular is a combination of figs with a local pate sobrassada or goat cheese. In the markets of Palma, such as Mercat de l’Olivar and Mercat de Santa Catalina, it’s easy to find both fresh fruits and homemade fig products – jam, dried figs, fig bread and more.
In September, the village of Lloret de Vistalegre hosts a traditional fig festival Fira de sa Figa. Here you can try figs in all its forms, varieties and even purchase seedlings. Figs in Mallorca aren’t just a food, they’re a part of tradition: many trees grow for more than a hundred years and the ways of collecting and drying the fruits are passed down through generations.
Visiting Mallorca during the fig season it’s impossible not to try this fruit, it has absorbed the sun, earth and culture of the island.
