At some point during their vacation, everyone ends up in a Spanish supermarket. Usually on the first evening, usually tired, and usually with the question: Where the hell is the milk?
There are supermarkets in almost every larger town on Mallorca, and if you spend a week on the island, you won't be able to avoid them. That's a good thing – for Spaniards, the supermarket is what the weekly grocery run to a favorite discount store is for many Germans: reliable, unexcited, everyday life. For finca vacationers, however, it’s a bit of an expedition. Here is your guide.
What’s different compared to German supermarkets
The first difference is often immediately apparent: many Spanish supermarkets rely heavily on their own private labels. Branded products are available too, but they are sometimes more like guests in their own house. If you are looking for a specific German product, you often look in vain – and instead find something you didn't know you needed.
The second difference is in the fresh produce section. In many Spanish supermarkets, you weigh your own fruit and vegetables; plastic gloves are provided nearby. Anyone who shows up at the checkout without a price tag quickly learns how patient the people in line behind them are. Or, more accurately, how they aren't.
Third: the deli counter. Jamón, chorizo, lomo, cheese in all degrees of maturity – the selection of air-dried goods is significantly larger than at home, and many items are available pre-sliced to go. By the way, cooked ham is called "jamón cocido" here, and raw ham is "jamón serrano." Anyone who confuses the two will have an interesting experience at breakfast.
Private labels: don't be afraid of the unknown label
Many private labels are sorted by category: one for food and drinks, one for toiletries like shower gel, sunscreen, and diapers, and one for the household – dish soap, trash bags, mosquito coils, charcoal. Once you’ve figured that out, you’ll find your way around quickly.
For you, this primarily means less stress when choosing. Instead of twenty olive oils, there are often only a handful on the shelf, and the private label is almost always among them. Extra virgin olive oil, olives in all varieties, potato chips, yogurt, gazpacho – if you don’t want to spend much time thinking during your vacation, simply try the private label and decide afterward whether to try something else next time.
Opening hours: a few rules of thumb
We are deliberately not listing specific times here, as they differ from market to market and change depending on the season. However, a few rules of thumb apply almost everywhere: during the week, markets are open late and generally do not take a lunch break. Sundays and public holidays are a different story – many supermarkets remain closed, and there are more public holidays on Mallorca than you might think, including local feast days for individual municipalities.
Anyone who has arrived on a Saturday evening knows the consequence: the fridge in the finca is empty, the next open market is twenty minutes away, and the children are hungry. That is exactly why the WOW MART exists. You order online before you arrive, we go shopping and fill your fridge before you even turn the key.
What you should definitely try
The Spanish supermarket is also quite an honest reflection of Spanish cuisine. A few items belong in every shopping cart:
- Sobrasada: Mallorca’s spreadable paprika sausage. On toasted bread, briefly in the pan, a few drops of honey over it. You can find it under Sausage & Cold Cuts.
- Ensaïmada: the snail-shaped pastry with powdered sugar, without which a morning on Mallorca is not quite complete. Can be found under Bread & Bakery Products.
- Manchego: matured sheep's milk cheese from La Mancha, perfect with red wine. Found under Cheese.
- Tinto de Verano: red wine with lemon soda, the locals' favorite summer drink. Found under Wine & Cava – also available alcohol-free in the Soft Drinks section.
- Alioli: garlic cream for bread, potatoes, and anything that comes off the grill. Under Oil, Sauces & Spices.
If you want to dive deeper, you’ll find a longer list in our article on Spanish supermarket classics.
Three tips for shopping locally
First: don't underestimate the water. In the heat, a family drinks more than you would want to carry in a shopping cart. Large packs are practical but heavy. If you don’t want to haul them, order your water from us under Water.
Second: ice is in the freezer section. Bags of ice cubes sell out quickly in the summer. If you’re planning gin and tonics by the pool, don't rely on the finca's freezer – our frozen goods range has cocktail ice and large bags of ice cubes.
Third: better early than late. In the late afternoon, the markets in resort towns are crowded, and so are the parking lots. Mornings are more relaxed – or skip it entirely and spend the time at the beach.
Or: just let us do the shopping
A trip to the supermarket can be a nice piece of vacation culture. But it can also cost you the first hour of your vacation that you actually wanted to spend by the pool. That's why WOW FINCA offers an alternative: in the WOW MART, you will find pantry staples from Spain, fresh groceries, and drinks. You order from home, we do the shopping, deliver to your finca, and stock the fridge.
And if you don’t have a finca yet: under WOW F!NCAS, we show you the houses we deliver to.
Chillin’ like a millionaire doesn't start at the supermarket checkout. It starts when you leave the shopping to someone else.
Teilen:
The perfect fridge stock for your first night at the finca