Discovering the rich gastronomy of the Balearic Islands

The Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain is one of the country’s most visited tourist destinations. There are beautiful beaches, enchanting coves, and exceptional sunsets. Plenty to offer visitors.

But perhaps one of the most special things about the islands is their incredible culinary tradition, based on innovation and the heritage of the people who settled there.

Euronews travelled to the islands of Majorca and Minorca to discover some of the best products to be found in this Mediterranean archipelago where, over time, many different cultures have made their mark on the local cuisine.

The Flor de Sal d'Es Trenc, a natural sea salt harvested by hand in the Es Trenc nature reserve in the south of Majorca, is one of the most famous natural premium salts in Europe.

As the sun and wind evaporates the sea water during the summer months, a thin layer of salt crystals forms on the surface of the salt pools. This is then hand harvested by skimming off the crust using traditional rakes.

The crystals, which resemble white flowers, hence the name, Flower of Salt, are transported to a drying area in natural jute baskets which filter out the excess water. It then takes long hours of sun, breezes off the sea, and low humidity for the product to dry out.

‘Our salt is certified as organic. And this artisanal method guarantees that it has zero emissions. We use clean solar energy, which renewable, sustainable, local, and unlimited, hence the quality of this product,’ said Laura Calvo, director of the company of Salinas d’Es Trenc.

So, nature has created and tradition has fine-tuned this gourmet salt which has a unique texture and flavour, adding a perfect touch to any dish, including desserts. It also contains less sodium chloride and