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Better to try everything: the "variat"

They say that, in fifty, the first groups of tourists entered the island's bars, restaurants and wineries wanting to try all the typical dishes of Majorcan cuisine. In those years, this curiosity meant ordering a plate of balls with sauce, one of “frit”, one of tongue with capers or one of snails. Until the owner of a cellar thought that if he put it all in a small clay pot and served it at a modest price, the visitor would be more than satisfied. The idea triumphed over that local and, in a short time, the establishments in the area began to prepare their specialties following the same philosophy. Everyone had their version. Majorcans also liked the idea and it spread throughout the island. The varied Mallorcan was born.

But, what does a “variat” have? There are many versions, but, basically, we can find: meatballs with sauce, cooked snails, "frit" of offal or slaughter, beef tongue with capers, cuttlefish or squid pica pica, croquettes, fried squid, tripe, Russian salad (almost the only dish that is served cold), and some other house specialities. These dishes, usually displayed at the bar of the establishment, are made up in groups of three or four, together, in a "greixonera" which is usually of two sizes depending on the size of the variety: large or small.

In Inca, in the center of Mallorca, this culinary curiosity cannot fail to be one of the most common among customers of gastronomy establishments. So, to eat it, you just have to go to a classic bar, a restaurant or, better yet, to a winery. In the capital of Raiguer, we find some mythical ones such as: Bar Malprats, where the local product is the main attraction, or Can Ripoll, the classic winery that began serving food in 1940, but has had wine barrels since 1768. Who Do you know if they were the first...

 Whether for a mid-morning snack, to make an aperitif before lunch or for a dinner with friends, beers and laughter, the variety is a classic of our gastronomy.

If you want to know any of the temples of the "variat" of Inca, we invite you to visit one of our suggestions: Bar Novedades, …