Soya & tofu in Mallorca?

neeb

Didn't know what other forum I could put this in (I'm a beginner in Mallorcan shopping.. ).

Off to Mallorca for a week in mid/late March. Just wondering, is it possible to buy tofu there? Also, if I am eating out as a semi-veggie, what are the options? Concerned about being able to get enough protein, especially as I'll be coming from an indoor-trained state and doing lots of miles. Also about getting decent wholegrain carbs.

I do eat some fish, but I'm a bit fussy. Has to be some sort of white fish and preferably filleted. From my previous experience of Iberian cuisine I'm worried that I might be forced to eat omelette and chips every day...

Oh, and is there anywhere I'll be able to buy chocolate soya milk ? This is my favoured recovery drink...

danowat

Its Mallorca, not Ethiopa!!!

neeb

Its Mallorca, not Ethiopa!!!

Yes, and regional food customs have caused me problems in the past. There are parts of the UK where it's next to impossible to buy tofu, and Spain isn't exactly known for being veggie friendly..

Maybe Mallorca is so used to catering for British tourists that it won't be an issue though.

edwards99

Semi veggie? what's one of those? :roll: I am sure you will be fine.
If not order s big steak all the trimmings and leave the meat.lol joking

edwards99

Semi veggie? what's one of those? :roll: I am sure you will be fine.
If not order s big steak all the trimmings and leave the meat.lol joking

edwards99

Semi veggie? what's one of those? :roll: I am sure you will be fine.
If not order s big steak all the trimmings and leave the meat.lol joking

Percy Vera

I think he got the joke the 1st time :roll:

neeb

edwards99 wrote:

Semi veggie? what's one of those? :roll: I am sure you will be fine.
If not order s big steak all the trimmings and leave the meat.lol joking

I was completely vegetarian for about 15 years and then about 5 or 10 years ago I started eating some fish again. But as I only eat some white fish and not crustaceans, mollusks etc it's easier to say I'm veggie in most situations than to spell it out (Pesco-ovo-lacto-vegetarian (albus, vertebrata)....?)

But some veggies get stroppy if you say you're vegetarian when in fact you aren't strictly speaking. So semi-veggie it is. Pseudo-veggie might be more honest, but even more likely to attract derision.

The chocolate soya milk is a big thing actually. If I can't get it there I might bring powdered soya milk.

edwards99

Now enlightened thanks.

Rooner

Hi

I have a similar diet requirement to yourself, I'll eat fish / shellfish a t a push, but mainly veggie. Been to Mallorca loads of times, never seen tofu or soya meat substitute on a menu but I've never struggled to eat otherwise (look out for Tumbet, a veg dish, fantastic!).

As someone else said, they are used to us picky northern europeans eating over there, so there's masses of options. Admittedly the longest I have been there is a fortnight, and my training whilst there consisted of a morning run (decent pace) and then a day of lounging and snorkelling, finding enough protein wasn't a problem. You'll be able to get good fish, squid and cuttlefish is the best, get it grilled (not calamari deep fried!) with a splash of oil and a side salad and its fantastic, high in protein and not too bad in fat. Grilled prawns are plentiful as well, but if you like your fish filleted stay away from the sardines....too many small bones!

mallorcajeff

well a question I can answer for you i live here in mallorca (raining today) i cook a lot of chinese food and use tofu but to be honest hard to find here and if your only here for a week you will probably not find it, there is a chinese shop i use in palma but rarely has it and to be honest i bring it over when i visit the UK (blue dragon from tescos) the big supermarket in palma carrefour has it but not very often so to be on the safe side bring some. I have lived here for 3 years and menorca for the 5 before that so im pretty informed. Be good to meet for a ride. cheers i live in the north of the island (sa Pobla)

neeb

Thanks both for the tips!

mallorcajeff - I'll be in Puerto Pollensa (16th-23rd March) so could easily be up for meeting for a ride some day.

Hope the rain does its thing now and then maybe it won't feel the need when I'm there..

mallorcajeff

sounds good i was riding there yesterday (beautiful day too) dont know if youve been here before but some great routes that end of the island. Yeah good i work monday to fri but can show you some roads. cool.

MattC59

Sorry, but if you can't find Soya and Tofu, then it's your own fault for eating such muck. There are far nicer alternatives out there, like gravel !!

Only joking (except for the gravel bit )

pst88

Having been to similar places (Tenerife and main land Spain) I'd say you'd be hard pressed to find decent meal options. Eating out you'll probably be stuck with pizza, vegetable lasagne or omelette which gets a bit repetitive after a few days. My vegetarian parents live in Spain and have found tofu in certain supermarkets but it's not as easy to find as it is here.

AndyF16

neeb wrote:

There are parts of the UK where it's next to impossible to buy tofu

What, the sensible parts?

neeb

Tofu is an acquired taste. It can seem bland if you're not used to it, but in fact it has a really nice delicate beany-eggy flavour. You just need to tune into it (looks for meditating hippy emoticon....) You can get it smoked or marinated of course, but after years of eating the stuff I actually like the taste and prefer it "au naturale".

Quorn is for veggie newbies!

mattshrops

most veggie food seems bland to meat eaters who have too high a salt and sugar intake in their diet, a period without meat and especially processed crap allows your tastebuds to start working again.
having said that i do eat meat but never processed food, and i have been a vegan in the past.

[/quote]

cornerblock

Zzzzz.... this is far too polite.. I'm going back to the meat at the Arndale Mkt debate!

Velonutter

neeb wrote:

edwards99 wrote:

Semi veggie? what's one of those? :roll: I am sure you will be fine.
If not order s big steak all the trimmings and leave the meat.lol joking

I was completely vegetarian for about 15 years and then about 5 or 10 years ago I started eating some fish again. But as I only eat some white fish and not crustaceans, mollusks etc it's easier to say I'm veggie in most situations than to spell it out (Pesco-ovo-lacto-vegetarian (albus, vertebrata)....?)

But some veggies get stroppy if you say you're vegetarian when in fact you aren't strictly speaking. So semi-veggie it is. Pseudo-veggie might be more honest, but even more likely to attract derision.

The chocolate soya milk is a big thing actually. If I can't get it there I might bring powdered soya milk.

Yep shame on you :shock:

No such thing as Semi Veggie, you are either vegetarian or not. why not just say you don't eat meat but eat fish....simple

BTW I am vegetarian, been one for 27 years 8)

Jimfrandisco

Not a vegetarian so i can't say with any certainty - but when i was last in Mallorca (Soller, so not that far from where you'll be) i found that there was more of a German influence than a Spanish one due to the high number of German tourists and home owners there.
A lot of the cafe's, restaurants in that area were German owned and that was reflected in the menus.
So you should find vegetarian diet more easy to accommodate there than in mainland Spain...where they generally think ham is a vegetable.

neeb

No such thing as Semi Veggie, you are either vegetarian or not. why not just say you don't eat meat but eat fish....simple Smile

You obviously haven't had experience of living with a diet that doesn't fall easily under any standard label... Easy enough (relatively) to say you're a veggie and get served what you want (I know because I used to be one), but if your diet doesn't fall under any of the standard categories it's a lot more hassle.

In any case, "semi" means, amongst other things:

2. Partial; partially
3. Resembling or having some of the characteristics of

Both these seem to fit in this situation so I maintain that there is such a thing as a semi-vegetarian!

Anyway, who says that someone who eats eggs & milk is "vegetarian"?

neeb

Jimfrandisco wrote:

Not a vegetarian so i can't say with any certainty - but when i was last in Mallorca (Soller, so not that far from where you'll be) i found that there was more of a German influence than a Spanish one due to the high number of German tourists and home owners there.
A lot of the cafe's, restaurants in that area were German owned and that was reflected in the menus.
So you should find vegetarian diet more easy to accommodate there than in mainland Spain...where they generally think ham is a vegetable.

Thanks - I'm sure I won't have any trouble finding stuff to eat, it's just that if I know what to expect it might influence what I bring with me.

Powdered soya milk in this instance... I'm assuming chocolate powder (hot choc) will be easy enough to get hold of...

keef66

Vegans probably do.

neeb

Look, basically, I don't care...

I eat what I want and describe myself in whatever way I want in order to get served what I want.

All this ideological categorising is very last century in any case. Half expecting to be asked next if I am a trotskyist-pesco-ovo-lacto-vegetarian or a maoist-ovo-lacto-vegetarian...

mattshrops

neeb wrote:

Look, basically, I don't care...

I eat what I want and describe myself in whatever way I want in order to get served what I want.

All this ideological categorising is very last century in any case. Half expecting to be asked next if I am a trotskyist-pesco-ovo-lacto-vegetarian or a maoist-ovo-lacto-vegetarian...

you are , arent ya? or are you a pinko commie fag tree hugging muesli knitter?

durianrider

Ive been a vegan for coming up 10 years and currently race Cat 1. Im a personal trainer and put my clients on a vegan programme or they can train with someone else. Ive nothing but praise for a low fat, high carb vegan programme heavy in fruits.

I do up to 1530km in a week and have cycled over 180 000km as a vegan and like to remind people that there is not even a medical word for protein deficiency! Kwashiorkor and marasmus refer to caloric deficiency vs protein deficiency.

Most tofu is pretty crap but you got some great stuff in the UK/ASIA. Stick rice and veg dishes and lots of bananas/dates for breakfast/training and youll be smashing the bergs with a lighter physique. Whats the point of carbon steerers if you got 10kg of butter milk fat you can drop from all that dairy and flesh dinners eh?

mallorcajeff

You can get soya mile in all SYP(eroski) supermarkets here and also in Carrefour and in everyone ive been in so you will be ok on that point

neeb

You can get soya mile in all SYP(eroski) supermarkets here and also in Carrefour and in everyone ive been in so you will be ok on that point

Brilliant, thanks!

winel0rd

I've been veggie for 20 yrs. Ignore the ejeets , you'll have no problem eating out in Mallorca these days. There's even a veggie restaurant in Palma- Bon Lloc (Calle Sant Feliu 7, +34 971 781 617). Only opens on afternoons, mind.

cornerblock

winel0rd wrote:

I've been veggie for 20 yrs. Ignore the ejeets , you'll have no problem eating out in Mallorca these days. There's even a veggie restaurant in Palma- Bon Lloc (Calle Sant Feliu 7, +34 971 781 617). Only opens on afternoons, mind.[/quote

Because by 5pm they are sooo tired and seem to have no energy!!