Mallorca Guide

[hjayne19]

Hi celiac community. Reaching out for some help. I am traveling to Mallorca in May for a cycling trip and would like some recommendations on gluten free safe eats and if there are things in the stores to buy. Let me know what works 

[cristiana]

Hi Jayne

Great choice for a gluten-free cycling holiday, I know the island well.

The words you need to look for are 'sin gluten' when you are out and about.   I think you will be amazed at how many packets and canned goods are clearly labelled 'sin gluten' in the supermarkets - many more than one sees here - often in quite large type.  There seems to be a thought in the UK that if you label something gluten free it will affect flavour etc and will put people off buying it!  However, in the case of Spain, it is almost as if the the Spanish see it as an endorsement of quality and flavour!  There is a supermarket called Mercadona and they label their produce very clearly.

Paella should be gluten free so long as the chef use the right stock such as Knorr or a gluten-free homemade stock - you can check.  Most Mallorquins in catering speak English but if not, ask, "Contiene gluten?"  Tumbet is a wonderful dish if you like peppers, tomato, aubergines, garlic and olive oil!  A sort of variation on ratatouille.   Slow roast lamb shank should be safe, and there are endless fish dishes to choose from and salads.  Flan is made with eggs, sugar and caramel, and should be gluten-free.  Lots of gluten-free ice cream and sorbets, they should be clearly labelled.

If you want specific restaurant recommendations, feel free to PM me.

Cristiana

 

 

[cristiana]

Forgot to add...  Quite a lot of 'tapas' are gluten free.

Ones to look for:  Tortilla de patata (a thick omelette made with potatoes and onions) should be 'sin gluten', and chorizo cooked in red wine makes a nice dish.  Look out for sobrasada, which is very Mallorcan, a softer type of sausage/pate which you can spread on gluten free crispbread which you should be able to buy for supermarkets.  Until very recently we could not buy it here in the UK but we've managed to find a local source, and Lidl have started to sell it in tubs, too.

Here's more info on it:

Sobrasada is a soft, spreadable, cured pork sausage from Spain's Balearic Islands (like Mallorca), distinguished by its reddish color from paprika, sweet-spicy flavor, and pâté-like texture, perfect for spreading on toast, cooking into dishes like eggs or pasta, or drizzling with honey. Its unique texture comes from the island's humid climate preventing full drying, resulting in a semi-soft sausage that's gently aged, unlike drier mainland chorizo.

Edited January 3 by cristiana

[Scott Adams]

Mallorca sounds like a great travel destination! This article may also be helpful--it contains a gluten-free restaurant card that might be handy when eating out:

 

[hjayne19]

9 hours ago, Scott Adams said:

Mallorca sounds like a great travel destination! This article may also be helpful--it contains a gluten-free restaurant card that might be handy when eating out:

 

This is great thank you very much @Scott Adams

[Mettedkny]

You already got some great recommendations. Just want to second that Mallorca (and Spain in general) is one of the best and easiest places for celiacs to travel. I have been to Mallorca multiple times and have never experienced any cross contaminations and there are SO many easy to buy options in regular supermarkets. Hope you have a wonderful trip.