Living Moments - N°2 Edition 2014

150 After hiking through the olive groves you will be hungry and want to stop for an unusual bite to eat in restaurants which serve special menus prepared with olive oil, then sleep in beautiful hotels which have been developed in the old oil mills. The olive farmers open their fincas and show how they press the aromatic oil. In the small farm shop they sell their gold which is very special: There are three kinds of olives which only grow here in Mallorca: Mallor- quina, Arbequina and Picual. They are blended, but also pressed as single-variety olive oil – something very rare. The best addresses are listed in the wonderfully designed brochure, “Olivenöltourismus Mallorca” – olive oil tourism Mallorca, in which hiking tours are described in detail as well, www.illesbalearsqualitat.cat ACCOMODATION: Gran Hotel Son Net: Restaurant featuring an antique oil press, www.sonnet.es Son Brull Hotel & Spa: Son Brull Hotel & Spa in a former monastery with olive mill, www.sonbrull.com Muleta de Ca s’Hereu: A former, large mountain farm where olive oil was produced until a few years ago, www.muletadecashereu.es/de/ BUYING: Mallorcan olive oil (and many other delicacies) can be bought in Germany as well, or ordered at: Der Mallorquiner, www.Mallorquiner.com Further information at: www.tourspain.es oder www.spain.info/de Text: Brigitte Jurczyk · Fotos: www.fotolia.com Tips on the topic The government of the island has recognised the fascination that this cultural plant, brought to the island by the Phoenicians, inspires and has announced four unique olive hiking trails. The Cami de Muleta, for example, starts at the country road from Sóller to Deià and lasts about one hour. A tour leads through the chasm of Biniaraix, another one through the olive grove of Coma-sema.These are hiking tours from 30 minutes to one and a half hours, on paths which can also be managed by inex- perienced hikers, passing century-old stone walls which hold the terraces with the silvery grey-green natural beauties. You will be rewarded by the far-reaching views of the ocean or the mountain landscape. Sometimes you can even try the olive oil immediately; in restaurants situated on the way. Long before Mallorca became the favourite island of the stars and starlets, and tourism a profitable business, olive oil was among the most important economic resources on the Balearic Island. The description “oli de Mallorca” – extra virgin, cold- pressed, secures its quality today. The Cooperativa Agrícola de Sóller adds the popular Mallorcan oranges and lemons to the olive oil. José proudly shows the storage of the cooperative where lemon jam and olive tapenades are stored along with the olive oil. “Here, try it!” the experienced farmer says, dipping a piece of bread in the golden yellow liquid. Mariano Planas Jornets lets people taste his olive oil as well.The plantation owner at the foot of the Tramuntana mountains is proud. His liquid gold had been won awards several times, even the prestigious German magazine “Der Feinschmecker” (the connoisseur) has ennobled his oil. “Now it is among the best 250 olive oils, world-wide!” he says with a shine in his eyes. In Hamburg, it can even be found on Tim Mälzer’s tables! His favourite recipe with olive oil? The friendly man with almost white hair does not have to think about that for long:“Pa amb oli – crispy country bread with olive oil, of course!” 7TaTYR 8ZXPY_^ Edition 2 · 2014 © Graf von Luckner