Sobrassada

We go back to our beloved “wikipedia” for the definition: Sobrasada (from the Catalan sobrassada) is a cured raw sausage made from selected pork meats, seasoned with salt, paprika and black pepper. It is stuffed into casings and is matured slowly.

This is a traditional product of the Balearic Islands, and is protected by the seal of geographical indication.

In traditional Mallorcan cuisine, sobrasada is eaten in various ways: toasted in winter, or spread on bread and raw in summer. It is also used in various Mallorcan recipes, such as ‘arròs brut’ or cooked and mixed with honey. Although they can last for several years in a dry place, the longaniza sausage is usually consumed during the first winter, the sobrasada in summer, and the larger ones when the following year’s slaughter takes place. In Mallorca, this sausage is consumed all over the island, especially in the villages. In recent years, the great Mallorcan chefs have included it in the preparation of many dishes.

Many confuse it with chorizo pate. It is a sausage that still has a long way to go in Spain, Europe and the USA. I have it on good authority that sobrasada has been promoted abroad for many years, but it is still largely unknown outside the island.

It has a strong initial flavour that you have to get used to, although in winter it is also included in the ensaimada called “carnival” and is mixed with honey to be served on Mallorcan toast. There are two types of sobrassada: white pork and black pork, which is a native Mallorcan breed.

Sobrasada is a product of a very Mallorcan tradition in the villages, the ‘matanzas’. Once a year, families slaughter a pig to turn it into sausage in order to have food for the winter. It is a tradition that has almost been lost, but there are still families in Mallorca that during the cold winter months, mainly in December and January, continue to carry out this family ritual of gathering food.

I recommend that if you have the chance to attend a slaughter, do not miss it, as it is a very interesting collective experience. They are usually held on farms or in villages in Mallorca. I recommend that you try it at least once. It is worth the strong flavour that you will never have tasted before.