Easter food in Mallorca
Empanades, Cocarrois, Robiols and Crespells

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Mallorca has a very distinct culinary calendar. The food we eat on the island was originally based on traditions throughout the year and followed the Christian festivities.

At this time of year, leading up to Easter, you will notice the Mallorcan bakeries are stocking empanades, cocarrois, crespells and robiols. These are typical Mallorcan pastries for Easter, although nowadays you can buy them all year round. Originally families would make their own, and the process of preparing and baking them was another excuse for a family gathering, but nowadays more and more people will buy these at bakeries.
 

Empanades, Cocarrois, Robiols and Crespells

Empanades or empanadas in castellano, are a circular pie with a meat based filling, the most traditional fillings are lamb or pork, sometimes with peas or other greenery and a tiny bit of sobrassada for extra flavour. These are eaten throughout Easter as a celebration of the end of Lent, when people can go back to eating meat.

Cocarrois are made of a similar pastry to empanadas but are a crescent shape and have a vegetable based filling with raisins and pine nuts. 

The sweet alternative to these pastries are robiols. They are also a crescent shape and are filled instead with requeson (sweet cheese), jam or pumpkin (there are endless varieties of fillings) and then crespells which are sweet biscuits cut into shapes.

All these pastries have been linked to Mallorca's Jewish and Arab heritage as they mirror pastries prepared in these cultures and the crespells especially are attributed to Jews as they are often cut into stars which are very similar to the star of David.

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