Peppers and peanuts

Raymonde Calbo Laffitte/Felanitx - I remember that fifty years ago when I arrived in Mallorca, I was impressed by the "Fira del Pebre Bord" in the town of Felanitx. A fair that has been held for over 140 years on the Sunday after Saint Luke (October 18). It was the day when the farmers came to buy their own spices and utensils to be able to carry out the slaughters that were carried out in the houses. My husband's aunts sold the precious black pepper, which they had produced in a completely artisanal way by roasting in the wood-fired oven they had, the so-called curtain cap peppers. These peppers are only grown in Mallorca and are rich in vitamins C, A, E, folic acid and numerous minerals. Alas! Today this fair has lost its charm and has become, as everywhere else, a large market adapted to the current times where it is difficult to find stalls that sell peppercorns. Everything has changed, the customs and way of life.

However, the City Council holds a series of activities every year so that the origin of this fair is not forgotten. Therefore, a recreation of the slaughters is organized where this pepper is indispensable for seasoning and preserving the sobrassades and sausages. You can see utensils and many photographs as well as samples of local products to remember what was a tradition deeply rooted in the village. Despite the fact that some brave and excited farmers are once again devoting themselves to the cultivation of this very special variety of pepper, nothing is as before.

Think also of an article that appeared in Diari de Mallorca a few days ago that talked about a young farmer from Sa Pobla who is also dedicated to a crop that has practically disappeared in this town: that of peanuts.

In the past there were many fields, - marshes - sown with this legume, popularly known as a dried fruit. This young man said that for a time this product was present as a social food in this area of ??Sa Pobla and that of Muro, especially at weddings and communions. They served the cake, coffee and peanuts that invited to prolong the social gatherings. I remember that at the Felanixera aunts' house, peanuts were always present when drinking coffee. In my village in France, there was no such custom and peanuts were a treat that my father bought me on Sundays when we went to the football game.

The drift towards a powerful tourism monoculture in Mallorca has pushed the use of fora viles towards another destination, condemning many crops to an unfortunate disappearance. I believe that the few people who are still dedicating their lives to the countryside are neither sufficiently helped nor sufficiently rewarded for their true heroic struggle for the survival of an abused primary sector, a fundamental witness of the history and idiosyncrasy of this people .