A tasting of xeixa and llonguet bread this week inaugurated the events celebrating World Bread Week, which will take place from 17th to 20th October at the kiosk in Plaça de l’Olivar in Palma. Organised by the Vice-presidency, through the Institute for Business Innovation of the Balearic Islands (IDI) and the Associació de Forners i Pastissers de les Illes Balears (Association of Bakers and Pastissers of the Balearic Islands), the aim of the event is to make visible and promote the consumption of traditional, healthy bread made in professional bakeries.

TDB keeps you informed. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The regional secretary for Productive Sectors and Democratic Memory, Jesús Jurado, inaugurated the Bread Week events this morning along with Pep Magraner, manager of the Associació de Forners i Pastissers; Jordi Vilà, councillor for Economic Promotion and Employment of Palma City Council; Miquel Piñol, director general of Commerce of the Government; and Miguel Carranza, director general of Commerce of the City Council.

Jurado recalled the work carried out by the IDI to promote the consumption of bread together with the sector through the “Pa d’Aquí, forn i tradició” seal, which distinguishes traditional bread from industrial bread, and with which the aim is for consumers to identify “Pa d’Aquí” with a quality, healthy, local product. He also invited people to visit the kiosk in the Plaça de l’Olivar to find out about the different types of traditional bread, its nutritional qualities, and the bakeries on the Balearic Islands specialising in this foodstuff.

For his part, Pep Magraner highlighted the 303 establishments that have signed up to the brand (234 in Mallorca, 43 in Menorca, 23 in Ibiza and 3 in Formentera). Magraner stated that “to be part of the Pa d’Aquí brand, bakeries and patisseries must have a bakery and at least 70% of their products must be home-made. They must also offer the public at least two varieties of bread considered typical of the Balearic Islands: pan payés (white or brown), pan de xeixa, llonguet, panet d’oli, galetes fortes de Ibiza, galeta d’oli, coc, magraneta and Viena”.

Precisely, the IDI has carried out a survey to find out the bread purchasing and consumption habits of the citizens of the Balearic Islands. The results showed that the types of bread most popular among the Balearic Islanders are brown bread, followed by llonguet, white bread and loaf. Furthermore, 72% of those surveyed buy their bread from bakeries, compared with 23% who buy it from supermarkets. In addition, 64% say that they buy bread on a daily basis or between 3 and 4 times a week. It should be noted that, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food’s Report on Food Consumption in Spain 2021, bread consumption in the Balearic Islands was 30.68 kilos per person, slightly above the Spanish average of 30.07 kilos. Even so, it should be noted that bread consumption in the Balearic Islands fell in 2021 compared to 2020, which reached 34.44 kilos per person per year.

In addition to the bread tasting by José Cortés, president of the Associació de Cuiners de Balears (ASCAIB), chef, trainer and gastronomic advisor, which took place this morning, Bread Week 2022 also includes a master class by the baker Peio Zalba for bakery and pastry students and professionals in the sector. Peio Zalba is the founder of the PaneNostro bakery, an establishment with organic certification located in the Sa Gerreria neighbourhood of Palma, from which he makes breads with wholemeal and brown flours from xeixa wheat, dead wheat, wattle wheat and mollar wheat, among other products.

After the success of last year’s edition, a guided tour is once again being organised by philologist and researcher Tomàs Vibot. On this occasion, the route will reveal some of the bakeries that have marked the personality of Palma, both for the history of the establishment itself and for the quality of the products that, generation after generation, they have been offering. It will be a walk to enjoy the tradition, culture and present of some of the most emblematic bakeries in Ciutat de Palma. This activity will take place on Wednesday 19 October and is open to all citizens, although it is necessary to register beforehand, and an informative leaflet that has been published this year was handed out during the meeting.