Some flavours do not need a special date to make a comeback. Sometimes, all it takes is for the temperature to drop a little.
In Palma, one of them is hot chocolate. A cool afternoon, a table where you can sit without rushing and one of our traditional pastries on the side are enough to bring back a custom that has been part of Mallorcan life for centuries.
Long before we talked about winter plans or comfort food, people in Mallorca already knew the pleasure of a warm cup of chocolate. And at Ca’n Joan de S’Aigo, that tradition is closely intertwined with our own history.
Hot chocolate: a tradition that came to stay
To understand why hot chocolate in Palma has such a long tradition, we need to go back several centuries.
Cocoa arrived in Spain from the Americas from the 16th century onwards and, during the 17th and 18th centuries, drinking it hot became increasingly popular. In Mallorca, this coincided with the development of a pastry tradition that would eventually become an important part of the island’s gastronomic identity.
The ensaimada was already documented in Mallorca in the 17th century and, during the 18th century, its consumption began to spread among the middle and upper classes. One of the things it was served with? Hot chocolate.
So this is far from being a recent pairing. Chocolate and ensaimada have been sharing Mallorcan tables for centuries.
Our own story developed alongside this tradition. As we explain in the history of Ca’n Joan de S’Aigo, after Joan de S’Aigo began using ice from the cases de neu of the Serra de Tramuntana to create the precursors of our ice creams, he soon began producing hot chocolate and ensaimadas as well.
Ca’n Joan de S’Aigo thus became, if not the oldest, one of the first chocolatiers in Europe.
Why do hot chocolate and ensaimada work so well together?
Some food pairings survive generation after generation for a very simple reason: they just work.
Hot chocolate brings intensity, warmth and that comforting quality we crave when the weather starts to cool. Ensaimada, meanwhile, accompanies every sip with a traditional Mallorcan pastry that has been part of the island’s history for centuries.
And there is another small ritual many people know well: dipping a piece of ensaimada into the chocolate.
There is no need for much ceremony. In fact, that simplicity is probably part of its charm. A warm cup, an ensaimada and enough time to enjoy both.
That is why, when someone searches for where to have hot chocolate and ensaimada in Palma, they are not simply looking for two products. They are looking for a very Mallorcan way of sitting down and enjoying an afternoon treat.
More than ensaimada: what to enjoy with hot chocolate
Although ensaimada and hot chocolate may be the best-known pairing, it is certainly not the only option.
On the Ca’n Joan de S’Aigo menu, you will find different pastries to enjoy alongside your chocolate depending on what you feel like having.
Hot chocolate with ensaimada
The classic of all classics.
A traditional ensaimada is probably the best place to start if you are visiting Ca’n Joan de S’Aigo for the first time and want to try one of the combinations most closely associated with Palma’s traditions.
Our menu also includes different varieties of ensaimada, from custard and apricot to chocolate, cream and custard with apple.
Hot chocolate with a quarto
Some people are absolutely certain that the ideal partner for hot chocolate is not ensaimada at all, but a Mallorcan quarto.
Its light, fluffy texture makes it particularly enjoyable alongside a warm drink. In fact, hot chocolate and quarto are another of those combinations that have been part of Mallorcan afternoon treats for generations.
And if you are visiting with someone else, there is always the diplomatic solution: order both and share.
Hot chocolate with other pastries from our menu
For those who prefer to explore different flavours, our menu also includes gató, croissants, puff pastry palmiers, cremadillos, robiols, crespells and duquesas, among other traditional pastries.
From there, it comes down to personal preference. Some days call for ensaimada; others are made for trying something different. Luckily, hot chocolate is very good company.
Hot chocolate on its own or with whipped cream?
Another important winter-afternoon decision —and considerably more pleasant than most important decisions.
Our current menu includes both hot chocolate and hot chocolate with whipped cream.
The first lets you enjoy one of the great classics of the house just as it is. The second adds whipped cream for anyone in the mood for an even more indulgent treat.
Then comes the choice of pastry. We will stay out of that particular family debate: both the quarto supporters and the ensaimada loyalists have plenty of arguments on their side.
A winter treat that also tells the story of Palma
Perhaps the clearest example of how deeply hot chocolate is rooted in Palma’s traditions can be found on one of the most important nights of the Mallorcan calendar.
For generations, it has been a tradition in Palma to enjoy hot chocolate with ensaimadas after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. It is a custom mentioned in our own history and one that shows how this combination has gone far beyond an ordinary breakfast or afternoon treat to become part of important moments in the island’s social and family life.
And that is probably the key.
When a recipe survives for centuries, it stops being just a recipe. It begins to become associated with people, seasons, celebrations and memories.
Winter in Palma can also be served in a cup
Mallorca has many different sides. There is the island of summer, the sea and ice cream when the heat arrives. But there is another Mallorca too: the one you discover during the cooler months, when you can walk through central Palma, find a table, take off your coat and make your afternoon treat last a little longer.
And in that Mallorca, hot chocolate still has plenty to say.
At Ca’n Joan de S’Aigo, you can currently enjoy hot chocolate or hot chocolate with whipped cream, paired with an ensaimada, a quarto or any of the pastries available on our menu.
A simple tradition that has survived for generations without needing much explanation.
Perhaps because some things simply return on their own as soon as Palma starts to cool down.
Visit us at any of our three locations in Palma —Can Sanç, Baró de Santa Maria del Sepulcre or Sindicat— and discover one of the city’s most traditional winter treats.
