What the ensaïmada is
The Ensaïmada de Mallorca is a spiral, layered yeast pastry made from white flour, eggs, sugar, yeast and — the key — pork lard (“saïm” in Mallorcan, hence the name). The dough is stretched as thin as a cloth, brushed with lard, rolled, coiled into a spiral and baked. The result is flaky, light and unmistakable.
Since 1996 it carries IGP status — the name “Ensaïmada de Mallorca” is reserved for pastry produced on the island.
History
The ensaïmada appears in Mallorcan sources from the 17th century. It has cousins in the eastern Mediterranean (Turkish and Middle Eastern spiral pastries) that probably reached the island through the Jewish-Sephardic and Arabic influences on the Iberian peninsula. Pork lard rather than vegetable oil is the Christian adaptation — and what’s set it apart from related pastries in the eastern Mediterranean for centuries.
For a long time the ensaïmada was the Sunday breakfast of many Mallorcan families — bought from the local “forn” on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, eaten with café con leche. Today it’s also the classic travel gift: packaged in the typical box, ensaïmadas leave Palma airport by the thousand every day.
Variations
The two base variations:
- Ensaïmada llisa: plain, just the pastry with icing sugar
- Ensaïmada de cabell d’àngel: filled with “cabell d’àngel” (pumpkin-strand jam)
Beyond that you’ll find ensaïmadas filled with sobrasada (surprising, but traditional), with crema (custard), with chocolate or with apple. The largest ensaïmadas are remarkable — in island cafés you sometimes see 40 cm wheels meant to feed a whole family.
Where to get a real one
We do not bake ensaïmadas ourselves — good ensaïmada bakers need specialised knowledge, and it’s worth going to a pastry shop that has been doing it for generations. Recommended near us:
- Forn de Esporles: traditional pastry shop up the hill, classic llisa and cabell d’àngel
- Forn Fondo, Palma (Carrer dels Hostals): since 1911, one of the best-known on the island
- Forn des Teatre, Palma (Plaça Weyler): the tourist-known one, but genuinely good
On our menu we run seasonal Mallorcan desserts — gató d’ametla, greixonera, crespells. For ensaïmada you walk up to the village on a Sunday morning.