Figues Seques: Mallorca's September Sweet That Hardly Anyone Makes at Home Any More
Some pleasures belong to one moment of the year, and in Mallorca September has one of its own: figs. Ripe, soft and on the verge of splitting, they taste of a summer that refuses to leave. For generations, Mallorcan families dried them in the sun to last through the winter. Today hardly anyone does it at home, and that is exactly why figues seques now carry a hint of quiet luxury: the luxury of things made slowly, by hand and with time.
A Sweet with a Slow Soul
Long before anyone talked about slow food, Mallorca was already living at a slower pace with its figs. They were picked ripe, gently flattened with the palm of the hand and left in the sun on canyissos, cane trays that let the air circulate. At night they came back indoors, and every few days they were turned over. No rushing, no shortcuts: just sun, air and patience.
The result is a dense, caramel-textured bite with an aroma of honey. It has very little in common with the packaged dried figs on supermarket shelves. The difference is like that between bread from a wood-fired oven and a factory loaf.
The Mallorcan Touch: Fennel, Aniseed and a Splash of Liqueur
What turns a dried fig into a true Mallorcan figa seca is the way it is stored. Once dried, the figs are dipped briefly in hot water and given a few minutes in the oven. Then they are packed in tight layers in glass jars with sprigs of fennel, aniseed, a pinch of sugar and, in many homes, a little herbal liqueur. Every family has its own recipe, and no two are alike. Some add bay leaves or carob, while others prefer to skip the liqueur altogether.
Opening a homemade jar is a little like uncorking a bottle from a small winemaker: each one tells a different story.
How to Enjoy Them Today
Figues seques don't need a special occasion, but they do deserve a little ceremony. A few ideas to give them pride of place:
- With mature Mallorcan cheese, for a sweet-and-salty contrast that is perfect as an aperitif.
- With toasted almonds and a coffee, the timeless afternoon snack and the simplest of all.
- On a sharing board with island wine, to round off a long dinner outdoors.
- As pa de figa, a fig bread with almonds and aniseed, sliced thinly and ideal alongside cheese.
They are the kind of detail that turns an ordinary after-dinner moment into a holiday memory.
Make Your Own: A Little September Ritual
If you fancy trying, you don't need a country estate. All it takes is a tray lined with baking paper, very ripe figs and a sunny corner. Flatten them gently, leave them in the sun for seven to ten days and turn them over for the last few days so both sides dry. Then give them a quick blanch, a few minutes in the oven and into the jar with fennel and aniseed. Popular tradition says they should be stored before Sant Francesc in early October. It's the perfect excuse not to put it off until tomorrow.
A Day Out Among the Fig Trees
To experience fig culture first-hand, the essential visit is Son Mut Nou, in the Marina de Llucmajor. There, Montserrat Pons has gathered a collection of more than a thousand fig varieties from around the world. Visits are by prior booking only and include a tasting of fig-based products. It's a different, authentic and highly photogenic day out.
For something more festive, the Fira de la Figa in Lloret de Vistalegre celebrates the fig every September. In season, fresh figs also fill markets such as Inca's. And if you're looking for a gift that tastes of the island, a jar of figues seques is one of the most authentic local products to take home.
Back from your day out, there's nothing quite like a dried fig with almonds and the golden September light over Port d'Andratx. Our team can help you plan the trip through our services, and our rooms will be waiting for you at the end of the day. Get in touch and we'll help you organise it.
