Almonds are a local product that houses the essence of Mallorca inside its shell. A nut with countless beneficial properties for health and, on top of that, tasty. However, far from being the profitable product it once was, the almond trees that once filled the island's fields have been disappearing or have been abandoned in recent years.
Faced with this problem, Dolça, Bàrbara, Maria del Mar, Gemma and Catalina, five women with different professions but in love with the typical gastronomy of the island, decided to join forces and ideas to launch a project that would recover the value of almonds and remind us all of its infinite possibilities.
With tenacity, innovation and creativity, Ametlla+ de Mallorca has created products that invite us to consume almonds in a way we have never done before. With new textures and new flavors. A nutritious and easy solution for cooks, athletes, foodies and curious people willing to experiment.
Its offer is diversified into three branches, as Mireia explains to us in the workshop that the project runs in Son Servera. First of all, we find whole almonds, roasted in an artisanal way, but seasoned with spices: with curry and sea salt, with sun-dried tomato, rosemary and salt; with paprika tap de cortí, and also natural almonds and natural almonds with skin.
"We made the Dukkah with Mallorcan almonds and it is used for seasoning instead of simply using salt. It's a product that complements any dish."
On the other hand, there are catanias, "they are the only things that are not produced here, because they are made in Barcelona exclusively for us, with our almonds," says Mireia. Catanias are delicious balls of toasted and caramelized almonds, and covered in chocolate and spices, raisins, orange peel and sun-dried tomato. Finally, its most groundbreaking bet is the Dukkah series. Another guilty pleasure.
Although the origin of Dukkah is in Egypt, "we made it with Mallorcan almonds and it is used for seasoning instead of simply using salt. It's a product that complements any dish." Suitable for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and lactose-free diets, Ametlla+ Dukkah enhances flavour and is also very easy to use.
That was the idea. Thinking about today's lifestyles in which the time we invest in the kitchen is rather scarce, their preparations "allow us to cook a traditional dish skipping the stir-fry, which is already in this prepared base". Yes, there's no need to wash, peel, cut or chop vegetables with this creation that comes in a beautiful glass jar and bears a woman's name.
Coloma is perfect for pasta, salads and meat dishes thanks to its combination of spices and sun-dried tomato; Barbara also gets along well with fish and has a spicy touch; Aina is ideal for baking, as it has dehydrated banana, dried apricots, dried figs, coconut and brown sugar; and the ingredients of the youngest creation, Marina, – wakame seaweed, salt, parsley, lemon peel, garlic and fennel – make it an absolutely versatile option.
"Some hotels have them at breakfast and also offer them as amenities. And then, of course, their customers buy them from us."
"It's a product you have to explain. It's true. But we made videos so that people would know how they could use it and even tasting menus so that people could see the possibilities, and the reception has been very good," says Mireia, who shows us the product with the enthusiasm of those who believe in what they do.
In chocolates, porridge, with fruit or meat, the versatility of this elaboration, as natural as it is from the land, pays tribute to the almond that is now "regulated and protected by what is PGI". The product can be purchased in shops throughout Mallorca and on its website, but it has also reached hotels. "Some hotels have them at breakfast and also offer them as amenities. And then, of course, their customers buy it from us." In fact, he says, the majority of the customers are foreigners. "They love it, especially Barbara, because she's spicy!"
The process of making Dukkah is entirely artisanal and local. As she tells us, "the almonds arrive, they are processed, they are packaged and labelled here manually, one by one, and the PGI almonds come with a code that identifies them", Recently, they have also begun to package in glass jars thinking of a product that is, if possible, even more sustainable.
Traditional, healthy and with a gourmet touch, this project – which has been underway for ten years – is not only rich, versatile and tasty, but also allows you to cook traditional dishes with comfort and contributes to recovering the Mallorcan countryside, something "of vital importance" for the team that works at Ametlla+.
When asked about the future, as we usually do on our visits, Mireia smiles. "Ideas are always running through our heads, for example, we have done tests with battered almonds, but they have not quite gelled. However, the idea we have clear is to continue."
At a time when local produce is finally regaining the importance and status it deserves, more companies are devising products in which almonds are the protagonist, but a decade ago Ametlla+ was an innovative project, a pioneer in the gastronomy sector, and today it continues to move forward out of love and devotion to our product, to our land, to our landscape. Here's to many years to come.
