The Hotels Viva Blog

You can’t leave Mallorca without tasting tumbet!

Written by Elisabeth Blue | Aug 8, 2019 8:00:00 AM

Mallorcan tumbet is one of the most typical, traditional dishes on the Balearic Islands. This is a true delicacy and has a lot going for it: it’s healthy as it’s made with fresh vegetables, delicious and versatile, as tumbet can be eaten either as a main or as a side dish to serve with meat, fish or fried eggs.

Main characteristics of tumbet

  • It’s made mostly with fresh, summer vegetables: aubergines, peppers, courgettes…
  • There’s no one single way to make tumbet. There are many variations. However, it’s always made by sautéing the vegetables in olive oil, layering them and covering them in tomato sauce.
  • It can be eaten either as a main or as a side dish to accompany a main. It’s just as delicious hot as it is warm. It all depends on your taste!

Mallorcan tumbet: Recipe

As we mentioned earlier, there are many variations, but a typical Mallorcan tumbet is made of potatoes, aubergines and peppers. It’s then topped off with a tomato sauce.

To prepare this dish, you’ll need the following ingredients:

  • 2 potatoes
  • 2 aubergines
  • 1 courgette
  • 2 red peppers
  • Homemade tomato sauce

Method:

  1. Peel the potatoes, aubergines, peppers and courgette and cut into circles.
  2. Fry the potatoes in plenty of olive oil.
  3. Fry the vegetables separately.
  4. Lastly, combine the ingredients. An attractive way of presenting tumbet is in a large dish or on separate, small plates. First, make a base using the potatoes, on top of which you can add layers of courgette, aubergine and pepper. The final touch is a generous covering of tomato sauce. 

Don’t miss out on tumbet

Regardless of the variant or whether you eat it on its own or as a side, but you simply cannot miss the chance to taste this dish. Order it in a restaurant and enjoy the essence of Mallorcan cuisine.

At Hotels VIVA, we support local cuisine, so we always try to use local produce to preserve and promote traditions. For us, tourism isn’t just a time to rest, disconnect and enjoy leisure activities, but also a chance to explore and appreciate other cultures and traditions. Cuisine, at least in Mediterranean culture, is a key part of local life.