Even in Mallorca’s countryside, one does not often come across an old farmyard cart any more. These carros were frequently seen some thirty or forty years ago, being pulled by […]
If you don’t own sheep of your own, you may never have witnessed a sheep shearing procedure, unless you have holidayed in Australia, that is. Sheep shearing used to be […]
Mallorcan farmers are very concerned about their almond trees. Apparently, quite a number of almond trees are dying as a result of a tree pest which might be caused by […]
The caper (Capparis spinosa) is one of the most characteristic plants of the Balearic islands. In its natural habitat this very useful plant lives in the walls of ancient city […]
The month of May is usually a busy month for Mallorcan villages. It is the time of the Fires, the Fires del Maig. The weekend before last, the pueblos of […]
This pig in my photo is the biggest porcine animal I have ever seen, in Mallorca or anywhere else. Tradition and circumstance had it that pigs and pork played a […]
When we first came to live in Mallorca, we soon noticed the ubiquitous presence of sheep, coupled with a noticeable absence of cows. As a consequence fresh milk and other […]
If you have been living in Mallorca long enough, or if you are a frequent visitor, chances are that you have eaten some Pa amb Oli (more about Pa amb […]
For centuries, Mallorca used to be an agricultural community, reaping the fruit of the land: carobs, almonds, olives, oranges, wine, apricots, potatoes, tangerines, lemons, capers, you name it. But with […]
Years ago, the matança was an all important event in the calendar of the Mallorcan country folk. Sometime between November and January, the escorxador was booked to help with the […]
Thousands of chickens, cockerels, roosters, capons, turkeys, pigeons and the like were exhibited in Palma over the last three days in an international show of feathered animals of 150 different […]
Honey is one of the great quality products of Mallorca, together with local wines, olive oils or cheeses from the island. One estimates that there are some 500 beekeepers on […]
A century ago or so, the Mallorcan potato (Solanum tuberosum) evolved from being a traditional crop destined for local consumption to a product for export. Since then, Mallorcan potatoes turned […]
Every year on the third Thursday of November, Inca stages its Dijous Bo market, the year’s biggest market on the island. This year, for some reason, Dijous Bo falls on the […]