Wild Food and Herbs of Menorca Countryside
After living over 30 years in Menorca, Spain’s gorgeous Balearic Island, I’ve slowly learned just how amazing the countryside is. I’ve done countless walks, joined workshops, and taken courses on foraging and Wild Food and Herbs of Menorca Countryside.
It’s incredible how much you can find growing wild here, edible greens, herbs, mushrooms, and even little fruits that you can use in natural, holistic ways. Over the years, I’ve picked all kinds of country edibles and use them in my kitchen throughout the year.
In this post, I want to share some of the plants I’ve found, what they are called in Spanish, along with a few images and links to plant-based dishes I make with them. It’s all about keeping things seasonal, wholesome, and connected to nature.
What’s Growing in Spring
Wild asparagus (espárragos silvestres) is super tasty and slightly bitter; you will find the shoots popping up next to or from underneath the thorny plant from February until around May. They are great for simple sautés, pies, salads, or omelettes. Take a look at our yummy spring green wild asparagus salad.
During spring, in the Menorcan countryside, wild spinach (epinacas salvajes) pops up everywhere, perfect for all kinds of spinach recipes. You might like our Sautéed Spinach and Fava Beans with Sesame and Hazelnuts, or perhaps a Spinach and Pistachio Hummus Recipe; either way, you can add raw spinach to smoothies and dishes.
Capers, which people have used in Mediterranean cuisine for centuries (alcaparras in Spanish), start to appear, and I love using them in pickled salads like our Lupini Bean and Caper Salad.
The caper bush is full of little unopened buds that, if they are left to grow, would turn into beautiful flowers. Look for small, green, firm buds. They are extremely bitter straight from the bush; you need to cure them in brine or salt before eating.
Keep your eyes open for wild garlic and carrots that can be found between February and early May.
What’s Growing in Summer
Fennel (hinojo) is another one I love spotting in the countryside. The fresh green shoots appear in spring, and by summer, the plant is fuller, with yellow flowers and seeds forming. You can use the tender stems in salads or cooking, and the seeds are perfect for making a simple, soothing tea.
Summer is all about blackberries. They grow along fences and hedgerows, begging to be picked. I usually make blackberry compote or a quick blackberry smoothie. I add them to yoghurts and pancakes, and sometimes I will sit on my terrace and munch on them as a wholesome snack.
Wild almonds (almendras) can be found on native almond trees scattered throughout the countryside. You can also find wild figs (higos) that ripen in late summer.
What Growing in Autumn
Autumn in Menorca is mushroom season, and it’s one of my favourite times to explore the countryside. You’ll find wild mushrooms like yellowfoot chanterelles (camas secas) and saffron milk caps (niscalos). They’re perfect for simple, rustic dishes, soups, and stir-frys, full of earthy flavour, and a real treat to cook with.
During autumn, you can find the fruit from the strawberry tree, called madroños. These little red fruits look like strawberries and are great for jams, compotes, or just snacking straight from the tree. They are loaded with vitamin C, tons more than oranges.
What’s Growing in Winter
Winter in Menorca is quieter, but there are still a few special finds if you know where to look. The strawberry tree fruit, madroños, carries on from autumn into winter, and mushroom season can still linger too, with late finds in the countryside. Rosemary is an all-year-round plant.
Herbs and Medicinal Plants
Menorca is full of wild herbs and medicinal plants, and they grow abundantly throughout the seasons; you will start noticing them everywhere once you know what to look for. You’ll also notice herbs like bay leaves (laurel), rosemary (romero), growing all year round, a highly scented purple-flowered plant, so even in the cooler months, there’s always something to pick, use, and enjoy.
Wild thyme (tomillo in Spanish) is one of my favourites and also appears in my spring green salad. It’s first seen in spring, and by summer, it transforms into one of the most beautiful plants, covered in vibrant pink flowers with a really unique aroma. I love adding it to soups and salads.
Then there’s calendula, with its bright edible petals and gentle soothing properties, and lavender, which is so versatile, perfect for teas, infusions, or even a subtle touch in recipes.
Other herbs I often find include oregano, mallow, nettle, and wild chamomile. Every walk, workshop, or course teaches me something new, and I still discover wild goodies almost every season.
This is just a little peek into Menorca’s wild bounty. I’ve got loads of photos and dishes I’ll be sharing, so if you ever wander the Menorca countryside, you’ll know what to look for and maybe even bring a few treats home yourself!
