Pa amb oli: Mallorca's national dish (recipe and meaning)
Pa amb oli is the dish most associated with Mallorca. It is simple, but the quality of each ingredient makes all the difference.
What does pa amb oli mean?
It is Catalan (Mallorcan dialect) for “bread with oil”. In Mallorca it is said roughly like “pa am oli”: the “b” of “amb” is barely heard and the words run together. The dish is toasted bread with olive oil, salt and, often, grated tomato.
Where does it come from?
Pa amb oli comes from the farmhouse cooking of the island: stale bread was toasted, rubbed with tomato and drizzled with oil from the family's own olive trees. A humble meal became a symbol of Mallorca and today it is on the menu of tapas bars and Sunday lunches.
Recipe (serves 4)
Ingredients
- 8 slices of rustic bread with a thick crust
- 2 or 3 very ripe tomatoes
- 4 to 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
Method
- Toast the bread for 5 to 8 minutes at 180 °C, until golden outside and a little soft inside.
- Rub the tomato, cut in half, over the warm bread until the flesh is spread on it.
- Drizzle generously with oil. The oil is the star, so use the best you have.
- Finish with sea salt and serve straight away.
What oil to use
For a mild start, the Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil (500 ml) has a fruity profile that works well raw. For more character, try the Antoni Mateu Olive Oil — Coupage (250 ml). You can browse all our olive oils from Mallorca.
What to serve with it
- Sobrasada, the spreadable cured sausage of the island, alone or with a thread of honey.
- Local cheese, olives and capers.
- Mallorcan pâtés, such as the MUNAR Traditional Pâté (200 g).
A pinch of herb salt gives the bread a different character: see our sea salt and seasonings.
Common mistakes
- Pouring the oil too early: the bread goes soft. Do it just before serving.
- Using an oil without character: in such a simple dish every flaw shows.
- Too much salt: a pinch is enough, especially with salty toppings.
FAQ
Does pa amb oli include tomato?
Many recipes do, but the base is bread, oil and salt. Tomato is optional.
Is it the same as Catalan pa amb tomàquet?
They are related dishes. In pa amb oli the oil is the star; in pa amb tomàquet it is the grated tomato.
Bring Mallorca to your table
Olive oil, pâtés and sea salt from small island producers, shipped across Spain and Europe.
