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Ensaimada

The Mallorcan spiral that owes its name to lard

also: «ensaïmada», «ensaimada de Mallorca»

Pastries & buns

A spiral of sweetened dough, fermented and baked with pork lard — saïm in Catalan, hence the name — dusted with icing sugar.

Ensaimada
Ensaimada

Where it comes from

Mallorca

The ensaimada is sweetened dough, fermented and oven-baked, made with strong flour, water, sugar, eggs, sourdough and pork lard. In Catalan, lard is saïm: hence the name, and hence too that it is not a butter pastry like the rest of the case.

It is a product of great tradition in Mallorca, where it has been made and eaten continuously since very early on. Its laminated spiral and dusting of icing sugar make it recognisable from a distance.

Across the province it sells mostly in individual size, for breakfast, and it is one of the few pieces that hold up through the afternoon without losing their texture.

What it is made with

  • Strong flour
  • Pork lard
  • Sugar
  • Egg
  • Sourdough