Mallorca

"Worth mentioning are some of the local pastries and so-called plats dolços (“sweet dishes”) which are never missing on holidays and important dates. First worth mentioning are the bunyols, small round pastries with a hole in the middle and made from bread dough, though less dense than usual and kneaded more. Once the oil is hot, small portions of the dough are added to the frying pan, and, depending on the cook’s dexterity, the hole is made with the help of the thumb. Once the bunyols are golden in color, they’re removed from the oil and rolled in sugar or honey. This specialty is highly prized by farmhands and workers, who preferably eat them at night at family get-togethers. One of these is the eve of October 21st, the Day of the Virgins, date in which young men like to offer serenades to young women they know. This type of pastry is commonly eaten in winter, as of September or October.

The tortada reial is also well liked on Mallorca, frequently given to friends or family members on their Saint’s Day or to thank them for any favors or services received. To make them, you place a thin layer of dough in a large clay bowl. On top of that you put another layer of dry pasta reial while, underneath, a layer of ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon and orange peels. The layer of dough is covered with another layer of apricots or another fruit if not jam and, then, another layer of dough. The pastry is then covered in a mix of white sugar and well-beaten egg whites."

Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria. Las Baleares por la palabra y el grabado. Majorca: General Part. Ed. Sa Nostra, Caja de Baleares. Palma de Mallorca. 1982.