Pa amb Oli
Mallorca's everyday bread dish: coarse country bread rubbed with ripe tomato and olive oil, salted, and topped with whatever's on hand, usually cured meats, cheese, or olives.
Pa amb oli is less a recipe than a habit, the dish Mallorcans reach for at breakfast, as a tapa, or to round out a lunch. It starts with a slice of dense, crusty country bread, rubbed with the pulp of tomàtiga de ramellet, a small, intensely flavored local tomato that grows in clusters and is prized for keeping well through the colder months. A good glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt finish the base, and from there it gets built up with whatever the pantry offers: sobrasada, cured ham, Mahón cheese, olives, or tinned fish. Older Mallorcans still distinguish between plain pa amb oli, bread and oil alone, and pa amb oli amb tomàtiga, the tomato version most people now picture when they hear the name. It shows up on nearly every restaurant menu on the island, from beach chiringuitos to formal dining rooms, usually as a starter or a shared plate. Simple as it looks, the quality of the bread, the tomato, and the oil is what separates a forgettable plate from a memorable one.
How it's served
As a starter, tapa, or light meal at any time of day, usually assembled at the table or just before serving so the bread doesn't go soggy. Toppings are placed on or alongside the oiled bread rather than mixed in, so diners can build their own plate.
Regional variation
The core stays constant across Mallorca: bread, tomato, oil, salt. What goes on top varies by household and restaurant, from a simple plate of olives and cheese to a spread of sobrasada, cured ham, and tinned fish. Some cooks skip the tomato entirely for the older, plainer version.
- Origin
- Mallorca
- Etymology
- From the Catalan pa amb oli, literally 'bread with oil.' Tomato was a later addition to the dish; older islanders still call the plain version pa amb oli and the tomato version pa amb oli amb tomàtiga.
Frequently asked
What is pa amb oli?
Pa amb oli is Mallorca's classic bread dish: country bread rubbed with ripe tomato and olive oil, salted, and served with toppings like cured meats, cheese, or olives. It's eaten as a starter, tapa, or light meal across the island.
What's the difference between pa amb oli and pa amb tomàquet?
They're close cousins. Pa amb tomàquet is the Catalan mainland version, bread rubbed with tomato, garlic, and oil. Pa amb oli is the Mallorcan take, traditionally topped more generously and built around tomàtiga de ramellet, the island's own tomato variety.
Is pa amb oli a starter or a main?
Both, depending on where you order it. As a shared starter it's a few slices with toppings on the side; ordered as a meal, it can arrive as a full plate with sobrasada, cheese, and olives, enough for a light lunch.
Related terms
- TrempóMallorca's summer salad: tomato, green pepper, and onion, finely chopped and dressed simply with olive oil and salt.
- SobrasadaMallorcan cured pork sausage that's spreadable rather than sliceable: soft, paprika-red, eaten on bread or stirred into sauces.
- AllioliPungent Catalan emulsion of garlic and olive oil. Traditionally no egg. Eaten with grilled meats, paella and fish.