Who in Menorca being resident or visitor is interested in knowing what is meant by “traditional cuisine of Menorca” and consequently want to have in his hands a bibliographic source and not a prospectus solvent quality ratio, and who is tired of being present as plates what is typical for palates comistrajo subject to the fallacies of mass tourism, can not fail to see and use a curious and extraordinary book entitled in Latin “De re cibaria”, written by Pierre Ballester and Menorca Pons (1856 – 1946), whose 1st edition appeared in 1923, in Castilian, published in the printer Manuel Mao Sintes Rotger.

It is well to say that the learned title (“De re cibaria” in Castilian would perhaps “on the things of eating”) that Pedro Ballester chose, had to be by reference to the “De re cibaria” which in 1560 published Lyon a French author Jean-Baptiste Bruyérin Champer (1497 -?), and while that was a voluminous compendium of European cuisine of the SS. XV and XVI, the work reached more modest Menorca stated, in the 1920’s, at least all the gastronomic tradition of Menorca initiated and developed from the Catalan conquest of the island in 1287.

The signing of these lines met this very interesting book on March 1, 1973 edition, published in Castilian. Book he bought in Ciutadella in the summer of 1974, for 230 pesetas. Those years that was already visible remarkably progressive massive landing in Menorca Catalan sesentayochescos, tardohippies Madrid, dangerously exmaoístas economics graduates, and many soldiers – strangers to recruit forcibly quartered in Minorca, some of which showed everywhere ( recesses during weekend) their hopes of ethnologists “the violet”. It being understood that other congregations friendly strangers, more affluent and baggy (for example, the Basques and the Basque, or the Lombard and the Lombard and Bavarian or Bavarian), it would land in Menorca, more or less massive, twenty-five or thirty years later. But let’s leave it at the time to tell other stories friendly, and what you will:

Many of the, say, “pioneers” of the 1970 were recognizable on the streets of Ciutadella or is Mercadal, addressing some upland native perplexed by asking how this would be the most deserted beaches Menorca from hard access …! And by the past, these beaches, years later, between natives and economic interests “voyeurs” equipped with binoculars, be called, freudianamente, “pristine and quiet.”

Tourists in the end those programs, recognizing it for walks and squares were seen deploying the protocol and then forced “Archaeological Map Pasarius Mascaro,” or read a copy of the magazine “Triumph”, or the day “Tele-Express “and because in the bassinet with which loaded probably stuck a copy of” De re cibaria “by Pedro Ballester.

About content, then, “De re cibaria” it is best to choose a line of splendid prologue to the 1973 edition, written by professor and historian Joan Hernandez Menorca i Mora (1904-1984), who says things how are you:

“De re cibaria has secured life for many years, we believe that for centuries, and that readers will not lack among Menorcans, generation after generation. And there will be missing among the strangers who discover our island and want to know.”

“(…) Written Work to save the treasure of culinary tradition Minorca.”

“(…) The book is more than culinary folklore.”

And if I had to call the attention of the likely first-time reader of “De re cibaria”, you would use the glossary P. Ballester exposed at the end of his book, alphabetically, includes the voices menorquinas about food and explained in Castilian. Then lead him to consult this book before the discussion with anyone about whether “mônesa”, “maonesa”, “maionesa”, “mayonnaise” or the “mayonnaise” of Richelieu, who left this controversial topic for another intervention. And the same would do for what makes the “boiler lobster” – “to wet soup” – that our author does not elevate any honor and proposing to do with prawns instead of lobster, since “(. ..) hardly notice the difference, with the satisfaction of saving. ” There you have it.

“Friedrich E.”
Spring Equinox 2012