Foodies on Menorca devotes its autumn–winter issue to the liquid gold that is redefining Menorca

Bep Al·lès / Ciutadella – Menorcan gastronomy continues to gain media strength and identity. One proof of this is the publication of a new print issue of Foodies on Menorca, a quarterly magazine now reaching its autumn edition, no. 21, edited and printed by Setmanaris i Revistes S.L. in Ciutadella de Menorca.

This new issue focuses on a product that, until recently, was practically non-existent in the island’s farming sector and has now become an emerging emblem: organic extra virgin olive oil produced in Menorca under the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) Oli de Menorca.

This thematic publication responds to a question increasingly raised in tourism forums, agricultural offices and professional kitchens across the island: can olive oil become a new pillar of Menorca’s economy and brand?

A small sector, but in constant expansion

For decades, the olive tree had been relegated to productive oblivion in an agricultural environment dominated by livestock and the dairy industry. However, the situation has changed markedly over the past twenty years. New farms and farmers have gradually joined the project, to the point where there are now six active tafones (mills) and around fifty producers, according to sector sources.

This is not about large-scale plantations or an extensive model. Quite the opposite: Menorca is shaping a production structure based on small volumes, proximity and great care throughout the process, with one clear goal: to compete on quality, not on price.

Biosphere Reserve and organic certification: strategic coherence

In Menorca, ecology is not an add-on; it is the backbone of the island’s external positioning. The fact that the oil is produced organically connects naturally with the overall model of land management.

The increasingly demanding consumer finds guarantees such as:

• No pesticides or chemical products

• Conservation of biodiversity

• Living soils and rational water management

• Lower emissions and environmental footprint

All this places the product in the “premium” category and responds to the food demands of the 21st century.

A distinctive sensory profile

If there is one element that sets Menorcan olive oil apart, it is its flavour. The calcareous terrain, the rainfall regime, the poor yet mineral-rich soil and, above all, the north wind (tramuntana) give rise to an oil that is:

• Deeply green and herbaceous

• Fruity, with notes of fresh almond and grass

• Slightly bitter and spicy, indicating a high polyphenol content

It is therefore an oil that doesn’t hide in the dish: it complements and enhances it. It is ideal for using raw and has become an essential ally for restaurants that champion local produce.

Gastronomy and identity: bread with oil as a statement

Contemporary gastronomy often defends a simple idea: what is truly good does not need to be over-complicated. Thus, something as familiar as dipping a slice of xeixa bread in local olive oil has, quite naturally, become an expression of place.

In Menorca:

• Bread with olive oil is both a traditional farmer’s breakfast or snack and a fully fledged restaurant offering

• It is a family custom and, at the same time, a tool for tourism promotion

• It is tradition and modernity coexisting on the same plate

Without shouting, but without compromise: pure island flavour.

Native varieties: a strategic choice

The future of the sector also depends on the “de la Terra” and “Serranesca” varieties, native to Menorca and brought back in recent years. Their adaptation to the island’s climate and their resistance to drought and pests make them key assets for consolidating the sector.

This work of varietal recovery is not only of agronomic interest: it adds commercial value and provides a distinctive narrative in a global market saturated with homogenised oils.

An economic and territorial opportunity

Why is olive oil seen as a strategic bet?

1. It diversifies the agricultural economy and generates new income streams

2. It helps keep people living and working in the countryside, giving continuity to family farms

3. It revalues the landscape with a Mediterranean crop that is compatible with livestock

4. It boosts Menorca’s gastronomic brand in the eyes of quality-focused tourism

It is a product that adds value on every level: economic, environmental and cultural.

A path that has only just begun

The organic olive oil sector in Menorca is still young, small and exposed to climate and market risks. However, its solid conceptual foundations — ecology, quality, identity — place it in a strategically visible position for Menorca within the Mediterranean context.

If the trend continues, olive oil may become one of the island’s key gastronomic and territorial symbols in the coming decade. It will not replace cheese, but it will stand alongside it, adding diversity and narrative.

Menorca, land of liquid gold. A headline that until recently would have seemed unthinkable and which today is already part of the official discourse and the island’s productive reality.