Sugar puffs

The Sant Joan sugar puffs, formerly known as aerated sugar or bolados, have survived in Ciutadella thanks to the Sant Joan festivities and because they form part of the gastronomic rituals of the Begudes, the receptions at which the caixersoffer refreshments to the horsemen. Their consumption in private homes, however, has declined considerably. The same has happened with the traditional macarrons, which were once an essential part of the bags of sweets handed out at christenings and are now found almost exclusively in the aludes offered by the caixers and in the few households that still preserve the tradition of making them.

Sant Joan gastronomy is now in danger of disappearing, as has already happened with a number of products and dishes that were once deeply rooted in local tradition.

Menjar blanc, the festival’s traditional milk pudding, is prepared less and less frequently at home. Fortunately, some restaurants have revived it and feature their own interpretations on their dessert menus. Nevertheless, the custom of serving it with crespellets should not be lost, nor should the traditional festival meatballs made with hazelnut or almond sauce. These are the authentic and oldest recipes, dating from before the introduction of tomatoes and peppers into local cuisine. Today, meatballs in hazelnut sauce—traditionally simmered in an earthenware pot—or in almond sauce have been replaced by meatballs with tomatigat or even industrial tomato sauce, which is sadder still.

The Sant Joan ring-shaped pastries, biscuits and traditional cakes have disappeared. Their recipes have been recovered from old cookbooks, but they are no longer prepared at home, nor have bakeries or pastry shops revived them. Other foods and drinks have also gradually vanished or are close to disappearing, including mint liqueur, poppy-flavoured water, pellofa and red gin, all of them pushed aside by the popularity of “gin and lemonade”.