“It is as if they have stored the sun of Mallorca – the oranges of the island.”
Lush orange tree in the “Valley of the Oranges”.
The home of these fruity island treasures is the “Valley of the Oranges” near Sóller. The mountain village is embedded in a valley in the Tramuntana mountains, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. An excursion in December to this “Vall des Taronjes” is intoxication for the senses when the orange and lemon groves shine in particularly vivid colours.
This is due to the geographic location of the valley and its corresponding environmental conditions – in the shelter of the surrounding mountains the fruits thrive particularly well.
Who brought the oranges to Mallorca?
The island’s wealth of citrus fruits is thanks to the 300 years of Arabian rule in the middle ages. From the 10th century the Moorish conquerors ensured that the first orange and lemon trees were planted, and to this end they laid stone underground and overhead water channels, some of which still exist today. In later centuries, citrus fruits were used for overseas trade. At the time when Sóller was still cut off from the rest of the island by the mountain range, the fruits of Port de Sóller were exported to southern France. It was only with the arrival of the train line at the beginning of the 20th century that all the islanders were able to enjoy the vitamin-rich fruit from Sóller.
Luxurious apartment in the heart of Palma.Wonderful finca wih pool near Sóller.
Orange is not just orange
The different orange varieties were produced by refinement of the older species or by cross-cultivating with different citrus fruits and the fruits are still individually harvested by hand. The variety which ripens first in winter is called “Navelina”. These are followed by the Christmas orange – the big, plump and juicy-sweet “Naval”. There is also the “Navel Late”, a fine eating orange which is also suitable for juice production. For the fresh orange juice, offered on almost every corner in Sóller, the “Canoneta”, grown only on Mallorca, is preferred. The “Peret” (little pear), the summer orange of Majorca, also grows exclusively on Mallorca. Then there is the smaller “Ortanique”, which has a sweet tangerine flavour, and the slightly shriveled bitter orange. The latter is used to make, for example, the bitter English orange breakfast marmelade, but oranges are also used to make many other products like fruity orange ice, orange liqueur, orange syrup, vinegar balsam with orange, olive oil with a slight orange nuance and even the Flor de Sal Gourmet salt is refined with orange flavours. A traditional, popular Christmas treat is candied orange peel or even whole candied fruit – sugary and very sticky. Whether enjoyed pure as freshly-pressed orange juice, or as a sweet treat, the Mallorcan orange enchants the taste buds, and the orange blossom with its beguiling scent enchants the senses.
Sugared pancake with raisins-‘Kaiserschmarren’
A wonderful recipe by Gerhard Schwaiger, chef and owner of the very well-known and exclusive ‘Restaurant Schwaiger’ in Palma, where he newly interprets not only classic Mediterranean dishes but also creates new mouth-watering culinary masterpieces to inspire his guests.
Elegant interior area in the restaurant Schwaiger.The big terrace of the exclusive restaurant promises a beautiful view.
Every day the restaurant guests ask if it is possible to have Kaiserschmarren for dessert. It is, more or less, a pancake torn into pieces. Due to the fact that beaten egg whites are used in its preparation, it is particularly light and fluffy.
Ingredients
590 gr. flour
150 gr. brown sugar
100 gr. sugar
500 gr. of milk
9 eggs
Mix all ingredients well and set aside 300 gr.
Whisk 180 gr. of sugar and 120 gr. of egg whites until stiff
Preparation
The tasty “Kaiserschmarren” is very popular in the restaurant.
Mix the 300 gr. of pancake pastry and the beaten egg whites, add some almonds, orange peel and raisins, place in a greased frying pan and bake in an air-circulation oven for 14 minutes at 180 degrees. Remove, and switch the oven to grill function. Tear the Kaiserschmarren using two forks, sprinkle with powdered sugar and caramelize under the grill.
For the best taste experience it can be accompanied by a syrup made with orange juice and served with fresh oranges. A vanilla sauce can also be used as a side dish.
